LITTLE PEOPLE 
WHO BECAME GREAT 



The Boy Lincoln 



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LITTLE PEOPLE WHO 
BECAME GREAT 



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LITTLE PEOPLE WHO 
BECAME GREAT 

Stories of the Lives of Those Whom Every 
Child Should Know 



By 

LAURA ANTOINETTE LARGE 



VI 



Author of "Old Stones for Young Readers." 



ILLUSTRATED BY PHOTOGRAPHS 




W, A. WILDE COMPANY 

Boston Chicago 






NOTE 

Author and publisher wish to express their appreciation 
to Underwood and Underwood, the Youth's Companion, 
and Gramstorff Bros. Inc., for the use of copyrighted pic- 
tures used in illustrating this volume. 



Copyrighted 1920 
W. A. WILDE COMPANY 

All rights reserved 



Little People Who Became Great 

APR -7 «?l 

©CU614334 



ILLUSTRATIONS 
Statute of Lincoln Frontispiece 

Opposite Page 

Michael Angelo 9 

Andrew Carnegie 15 

Jenny Lind 22 

Henry W. Longfellow 34 

Thomas Edison 39 

Benjamin Franklin 48 

Rosa Bonheur 's ' ' Coming from the Fair " 55 

Rosa Bonheur 's 1 1 Horse Fair " 64 

Helen Keller 65 

Louise M. Alcott 73 

Harriet Beecher Stowe 78 

Wolfgang Mozart 85 

Florence Nightingale 91 

Abraham Lincoln 96 

George "Washington 107 

Ulysses S. Grant 113 

Theodore Roosevelt 129 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

I. A Boy Who Spent Three Years in a Palace 9 

II. The Boy Who Built Castles in the Air ... 15 

III. The Girl Who Built Castles in the Air ... 22 

IV. A Boy Like Other Boys in Many Ways 34 

V. A Boy Who Was Not Like Other Boys in 

Many Ways 39 

VI. The Boy Who Was His Own Teacher 48 

VII. A Girl Who Had Animal Friends that You 

and I May See 55 

VIII. A Girl Whose Two Hands Did Wonderful 

Things for Her 65 

IX. A Girl Who Liked to Have Fun 73 

X. A Girl Who Liked to Read Stories and 

Write Them 78 

XI. A Little Boy With a Long Name 85 

XII. A Kind Nurse 91 

XIII. A Poor Boy and What Became of Him 96 

XIV. A Rich Boy and What Became of Him 107 

XV. A Brave Boy Who Did Not Want to Be a 

Soldier 113 

XVI. A Fighting Boy 129 



Little People Who 
Became Great 



A BOY WHO SPENT THEEE YEARS IN 

A PALACE 

WHEN Michael Angelo was a little boy 
he thought more about drawing than of 
any other thing in all the world. His 
father sent him to school but Michael Angelo 
did not like books and would not study hard. 
He drew pictures on his books, instead. "I want 
to learn to draw/' he would say to his father. 

His father was angry at this. "I do not want 
you to be an artist, my son/' he said. "Artists 
cannot earn much money and I do not want you 
to become one." 

Poor little Michael Angelo did not want much 
money. He only wanted to learn to draw well, 
and he could not get the idea out of his head. 

9 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

"I would rather do this than any other thing/' 
he told his father. 

Michael Angelo's best friend knew a great 
artist. Often the great artist would let the two 
boys watch him draw. This made Michael An- 
gelo more eager than ever. 

One day the artist went to Michael Angelo's 
father. "I will pay you for the boy's work if 
you will let him study with me/' he said. 

The father was willing to do this, and Michael 
Angelo studied with the artist for three years. 

At that time there lived a prince who loved 
beautiful statues. He liked them so well he 
sent all over the world to get the very best there 
were. This prince was a kind man. He thought 
it would be well if others could enjoy his fine 
statues. 

He said to the drawing teachers of the city in 
which he lived, "Choose your two best pupils. 
Send them to study my fine statues. I will get 
a teacher to help them." 

All the drawing pupils in the city of Florence 

10 




MICHAEL ANGELO 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

wanted to see the prince's statues. But only 
two could be chosen from each class. 

One teacher had two bright pupils. They were 
great friends and both could draw well. It was 
not hard for this teacher to make his choice. Mi- 
chael Angelo and his friend were the lucky ones. 

You may be sure there were some happy boys 
in Florence, that day. And Michael Angelo was 
the happiest of them all. He was always glad to 
see beautiful things and to learn about them. 

While visiting the kind prince, Michael An- 
gelo first spent his time in drawing. Then one 
day he saw a young man modeling in clay. 
Michael Angelo thought that he would like this 
work even better than drawing, and it was not 
long before he was working in clay, also. 

One day, Michael Angelo was making a faun's 
head. The prince came along and saw him at 
work. "That is a fine head," the prince said. 
"But you have made one mistake. The faun 
should have one tooth missing." 

Michael Angelo did not say much. When the 

11 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

prince came around a second time the faun had 
one tooth less than it had had before. Michael 
Angelo had changed the head to make it just as 
it should be. 

The prince was much pleased. "My boy," he 
said. "I see that you are willing to learn. You 
may come and live with me in my palace. I will 
get you a teacher and you shall study with my 
three sons." 

Again Michael Angelo was a happy boy, and 
for three years he worked in the palace, with 
princes for friends. Pie spent most of his time 
carving in marble, now, and his work was becom- 
ing more and more beautiful. Indeed, many peo- 
ple said, "Some day Michael Angelo will be a 
great sculptor." 

After Michael Angelo had lived at the palace 
for three years, the kind ^prince died. Michael An- 
gelo had lost a friend but he had not lost his love 
for the work. He kept on and on, until he became 
one of the greatest sculptors that has ever lived. 

The people of Florence, Italy, had a huge block 

12 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

of marble. One man had tried to carve a giant 
out of it, but had failed. The people asked 
Michael Angelo to do something with it. 

"I will see what I can do," Michael Angelo 
promised them. Then he carved and carved, for 
eighteen months. When he had finished, you 
could see that a wonderful sculptor had done the 
work. The huge block was changed into a young 
man with a sling-shot thrown over his shoulder. 
He was going forth to fight a giant. It was 
David, the shepherd boy. Forty men worked 
four days to move it, and it is a wonder that it 
did not take longer. It weighed eighteen thou- 
sand pounds, or just nine tons ! 

Someone said, "What a beautiful piece of 
sculpture it is ! Let us put it at the gate of our 
city. It will help to keep watch over our people." 

This is what the people of Florence did, and 
for many years David the shepherd boy looked 
quietly upon all who entered the gates of the city. 

At another time Michael Angelo carved the 
statue of Moses. This statue is in Rome. It 

13 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

looks so real it almost seems to speak, as you 
stand before it. 

Michael Angelo carved many more statues 
also. One is called THE THINKER, and is in 
Florence, Italy. Another is called DAY AND 
NIGHT, and still another TWILIGHT AND 
DAWNING. 

Michael Angelo did not spend all of his time as 
a sculptor. Once in a while he stopped to paint 
a few beautiful pictures. 

In Rome, there is a large church named St. 
Peter. This church has many parts, one of which 
is called The Sistine Chapel. The ceiling of this 
chapel is covered with many pictures. Each pic- 
ture tells some story about the Bible. 

If you have ever watched anyone paint the ceil- 
ing in your home, you know how hard it is. 
Painting walls is a much easier task. Only a 
very great artist could make the pictures look so 
real and so beautiful. 

If you are ever in Rome or Florence, try to see 
the wonderful work of Michael Angelo. 

14 




ANDREW CARNEGIE 



COPYRIGHT BY UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD. N. Y. 



THE BOY WHO BUILT CASTLES IX THE 

AIK 

PERHAPS you know what it means to build 
castles in the air. You keep thinking of 
great things that you would like to do, or of 
the fine things that you would like to have. 

Some people build castles in the air, but they 
do not try hard enough to make the play castles 
turn into real ones. Andrew Carnegie was not 
that kind of a boy, as you will see. 

Andrew Carnegie's father was a weaver until 
the time when Andrew became ten years of age. 
Mr. Carnegie and his family lived in a little Scot- 
land town where they were contented and happy. 
Then people began to make cloth by machinery 
and Mr. Carnegie was soon without work. He 
was very sad when he came home one night. 
"Andy," he said to his little son. "I will have no 
more weaving to do. People do not care to give 
orders for hand-made cloth any more." 

15 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

It was then that Andrew began to build his 
castles in the air. How he wished that he might 
earn some money to give to his father and 
mother ! Even a dollar or two each week would 
have made Andrew the happiest boy in all of 
Scotland. 

While Andrew was wondering what a little 
boy of ten years could do to make money, Mr. 
Carnegie was wondering what he should do to 
earn a living. He talked it over with his good 
wife who said that she thought it might be well 
for the family to go to America to live. Some of 
their relatives had done this and had been earn- 
ing a good living in the new country. "Perhaps 
we can do well, there, too," Mrs. Carnegie said to 
her husband. 

After looking into the matter carefully Mr. 
Carnegie made up his mind to move to America. 
A few weeks later the family had settled in Alle- 
gheny, Pennsylvania. 

Here Mr. Carnegie found work, and Andrew 
was given a position, also. He became a bobbin- 

1G 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

boy in a factory, for which he received $1.25 a 
week. 

Andrew worked hard for this money, but he 
did not mind hard work. He gave the $1.25 to 
his mother each week, and his good mother was 
very glad to get it. At that time Andrew thought 
that $1.25 was a great deal of money, but he still 
kept on building his castles in the air. "Some 
day I will make more money," he said to himself. 
And this is just what happened. 

Before long Andrew was given the position of 
engine-boy in a factory. It was his duty to fire 
the engine, and for this he received $1.80 a week. 
This work was harder than the work that the 
bobbin-boy had to do, but $1.80 is better than 
$1.25, as you know. For this reason Andrew 
gave up his first position and started to work at 
the second. 

It was dark in the engine room where he had 
to work. There was no daylight and no bright 
sunshine at all. Andrew went to work early in 
the morning and did not get home until almost 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

dark. At times Andrew wished that he might 
see a little more of the sunshine, but he did not 
say anything about this to his mother. "Some 
day I will do better," he said to himself. 

When Andrew Carnegie was fourteen years 
old, he was given a chance to do better, just as he 
had thought. A messenger boy was needed in 
one of the telegraph offices of the city, and An- 
drew was offered the position at $2.50 a week. 

When Andrew went to the telegraph office and 
saw how the sun shone into the windows from all 
sides, he was greatly pleased. The bright sun- 
shiny office was so much better than the dark en- 
gine room in which he had been working. 

Andrew went to work at the new position, and 
it was a bright happy looking lad who helped to 
deliver telegraph messages throughout the city, 
that year. 

Andrew soon learned the names of the busi- 
ness firms along most of the streets of the city so 
that he might be able to deliver their messages 

18 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

more quickly. Besides this, he learned to oper- 
ate a telegraph machine. 

The Superintendent was pleased when he saw 
how Andrew Avent about his work. One day he 
asked Andrew if he would not like to become a 
telegraph operator at a salary of $6.25 a week. 

Of course you know what Andrew said to this. 
And perhaps you can imagine how rich he felt 
when he received his new salary. 

You would think that by this time Andrew 
would have stopped building air castles but he 
had not. It was a great pleasure to be able to 
give his mother the $0.25 every week, but he 
thought that it would be very fine if he could give 
her more than this. 

Andrew worked harder than ever and after 
many months the Superintendent asked him to 
help in his private office at a salary of $8.75 a 
week. 

Again you can guess what was Andrew Car- 
negie's answer. And no doubt you can also guess 
who became the new Superintendent when the 

19 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

old one was called upon to leave the city after 
many more months. 

At last there came a time when Andrew Car- 
negie's mother had as much mone} r as she needed 
and Andrew had a chance to save a part of his 
earnings. 

It would take a long time for you to read all 
that Andrew did from that time until he became 
an old man but you will surely want to know 
what became of all the air castles. 

Andrew Carnegie did not remain a Superin- 
tendent all of his life. After a few years he be- 
came a steel manufacturer and this brought him 
a great deal of money. He earned so much that 
his mother could have a million dollars almost 
any time she wanted it. His father, too, could 
have had many fine things if he had only lived 
long enough to receive them. 

Andrew Carnegie's castles were no longer 
built of air. They were now real ones for all of 
his wishes had come true. 

Andrew Carnegie was a very happy man as 

20 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

you may suppose. But he did not forget the peo- 
ple who were less fortunate than he. Besides 
giving to his own family he gave away millions 
of dollars to strange people. Before the year 
1915 had closed Andrew Carnegie had given over 
$180,000,000 for Public Libraries and other use- 
ful things ! 



21 



THE GIKL WHO BUILT CASTLES IN THE 

AIE 

WHAT would you think if you had a baby 
sister who could sing the tune of MY 
COUNTRY 'TIS OF THEE or THE 
STAR SPANGLED BANNER before she was 
two years old? Perhaps you would think that 
she was the smartest sister in the whole country, 
and this is what she might be. 

When little Jenny Lind was only twenty 
months old she could sing tunes that were just as 
hard as MY COUNTRY 'TIS OF THEE or THE 
STAR SPANGLED BANNER. She lived in 
Sweden and the songs that she sang were the 
Swedish native airs. Baby Jenny thought that 
they w^ere very pretty songs. She liked the tunes 
even though she was too young to say the words 
that went with them. 

After aAvhile little Jenny grew old enough to 
sing the words as well as the tunes. Then she 

22 




JENNY LIND 



WHO BECAME GKEAT 

would sing and sing. You would have liked to 
hear little Jenny's songs. Her voice was as clear 
and as sweet as the voice of any child you have 
ever heard. 

When Jenny was three years old she was very 
happy because some soldiers marched by the 
house every day. Some children would have 
looked at the soldiers because they liked to see 
their suits or watch them go LEFT, RIGHT, 
LEFT, EIGHT. It was not so with little Jenny 
Lind. She 1 ike the soldiers because some of them 
blew such pretty tunes on their bugles. One tune 
they blew more than any other and it was not 
long before little Jenny had learned to sing it. 

One day when she thought that she was all 
alone in the house she crept up to the big piano 
and played one of the soldier's tunes. She had 
never played the piano before but she had 
watched her half-sister do so. She found it very 
easy to pick out the tune with one finger, singing 
as she played. 

Little Jenny thought that she w as alone in the 

23 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

house. She did not know that her grandmother 
was at home until she heard a voice that called 
out the name of Jenny's half-sister. Then little 
Jenny was frightened because she thought that 
her grandmother might be angry. Little Jenny 
was so young that she had never been allowed to 
play on the piano and she did not know what her 
grandmother would think of it. So she hid un- 
derneath the big piano and kept very, very still. 
If little Jenny had been older she would have 
known that it does not take very sharp eyes to 
find someone hidden under a piano. The grand- 
mother came into the room and saw little Jenny 
at once. She said to her, "Child, was that you 
singing and playing the pretty tune?'' Little 
Jenny hail tears in her eyes as she answered that 
she was the one. She was surprised to see that 
her grandmother was pleased and not angry. 

The grandmother took Jenny from her hiding 
place, and when the mother came home the 
grandmother told her that some day she would 
have a great singer for a daughter. "Mark my 

24 



WHO BECAME GBE AT 

words," she said. "Some day this child will 
bring you help. 7 ' By this she meant that Jenny 
might be a great singer and earn a good deal of 
money. 

When Jenny was six years old her father and 
mother became very poor. Jenny's mother had 
to spend so much of her time earning money that 
little Jenny was sent away to the home of a man 
and his ivife who had no children and wanted 
some little girl to live with them. 

Jenny's new home was on a busy street and 
many people passed by the house each day. But 
there were no children in the house and little 
Jenny would have been very lonesome if it had 
not been for one thing. Jenny liked to sing so 
well that she could not be lonesome. No matter 
how dark the dav might be, there was alwavs a 
sunny spot around where little Jenny was. 

When she was nine years old someone gave her 
a beautiful cat with a blue ribbon around its 
neck. Little Jenny thought that her cat was the 
finest cat in all the world. She would often sit in 

25 



LITTLS PEOPLE 

the window looking out upon the busy street. In 
her arms she would hold the pet cat while she 
sang her sweetest songs to him. The cat seemed 
to like the singing for he would purr and purr. 
Sometimes he would curl up into a ball and have 
a good nap. 

One day the maid who worked for a Swedish 
actress passed by the window where little Jenny 
sat singing to her cat. The maid heard the sing- 
ing and looked up. She had never heard such a 
beautiful song on a busy street and it brought 
tears to her eyes. When the maid found that the 
sonsr had come from a little nine-year-old girl 
singing to her cat she hurried home to tell her 
mistress about it. 

The actress found out where little Jenny's 
mother lived. She asked the mother to bring lit- 
tle Jenny to her. When the actress had heard 
Jenny sing she was delighted. "A girl with such 
a voice should be taught to sing on the stage 
where many people can hear her," she said to 
Jenny's mother. Then she asked Jenny's mother 

26 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

if she would allow the little girl to study for the 
stage if someone would give her lessons without 
charging for the work. The mother did not like 
to do this at first, but at last she gave her consent 
and the actress told her to bring Jenny back the 
next day. 

It was then that little Jenny Lind began to 
build her air castles. How she wished that some- 
one would be good enough to be her teacher ! Lit- 
tle Jenny wanted to learn to sing so well that 
everyone in the town who heard her would be 
made happier. 

The actress took Jemry to an old music teacher 
where she sang one of her prettiest songs. The 
old music teacher was much pleased and would 
have liked to have taken the little girl for a pupil 
but he thought that it would be better for her to 
study with the manager of a theatre. In those 
days some of the theatres had training schools 
where children learned how to act, play the 
piano, or sing pretty songs for the stage. The 
manager of the theatre had charge of the train- 

27 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

ing school and this was why the old music 
teacher wanted Jenny to go to him. 

Jenny was very much frightened when she 
found herself before the manager of the theatre. 
She hoped that he would like her so that he 
would let her study at his school without paying 
for it. 

The manager was surprised when he saw 
Jenny. She was a pale, shy looking little girl. 
He did not think that she could sing well. "You 
ask a foolish thing," he said to the music master. 
"Surely this child cannot sing !" 

Little Jenny spoke up at once. "May I sing 
for you?" she asked the manager. The manager 
said that she might do so and Jenny sang for him 
the pretty song that she had also sung for the old 
music master. When the manager had heard 
the song he was sorry that he had spoken so 
rudely. "I will take the child," he said. "She 
may come into my training school and I will 
teach her how to sing for the stage." 

Little Jenny went to the school a few days 

28 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

later. She had not been there long before she 
began to feel that she was learning how to sing 
Avell enough to make many people of her city 
happy. Whenever she sang in the school con- 
certs the people always clapped and clapped be- 
cause her voice was so sweet and so beautiful. 
This pleased little Jenny but she was not satis- 
fied. She kept on building air castles, wishing 
that some day she might sing well enough to 
please the people of even larger cities. 

Just as Jenny Lind was wishing this, a sad 
thing happened. It seems hard to believe, but it 
is true. Jenny Lind's beautiful voice disap- 
peared one day. No one knew just how it hap- 
pened. No one knew just how long it would stay 
away, but her beautiful voice was surely gone! 
Some people said that she had sung too much for 
a little girl and that this was why her voice had 
lost its strength. 

Poor Jenny! How sad she was! She could 
not take singing lessons any more. The teachers 

29 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

told her that she must give her voice a rest if 
she wished it to come back again. 

Then little Jenny went to work to learn to 
play the piano. She was not sad long because of 
a voice within her that seemed to say that in time 
things would come out all right and she would be 
able to sing again. 

For four years Jenny Lind staid at the school 
taking piano lessons. Then something happened 
to make Jenny Lind believe that the voice within 
her had told the truth. She was asked to sing a 
short solo in a play because no one else wanted 
to sing it. The manager did not think that Jenny 
would be able to sing it well, and Jenny Lind, 
herself, did not think so. But when she tried the 
song, Oh ! Oh ! How happy she was ! She found 
that her voice had come back again ! It had re- 
turned as quickly as it had once disappeared. 
After waiting four years Jenny Lind found that 
she could at last sing again! 

Jenny's old teacher began at once to give her 
lessons and she went to work as hard as ever. 

30 



WHO BECAME GEEAT 

After awhile she began to feel that it might he 
well for her to study in another city, and her 
teacher told her that she should go to the big city 
of Paris. Jenny was very glad to do this. She 
worked for many months giving concerts so that 
she might earn enough money to study in Paris 
where many of the best teachers in the world 
lived. 

Again Jenny Lind built air castles. This time 
she wished that her voice might grow to be so 
sweet that everyone who heard her in the big city 
of Paris w r ould be pleased. 

Jenny Lind went to study in Paris but her 
wishes did not come true at once. Another sad 
thing happened. Once more she lost her voice 
and had to stop singing for six months, to rest it. 

Many people would have surely given up, but 
it was not so with Jenny Lind. She rested her 
voice and then went to work again. 

And from this time on Jenny Lind had many 
happy days. Her voice never disappeared again 
but grew sweeter and stronger and better every 

31 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

day. It grew to be so beautiful that when she 
sang you would think that a bird was in the 
room. She could sing as high as any girl in your 
school and seven or eight notes higher. If there 
is a piano in your school ask your teacher to play 
notes above high G and then you will know just 
how far Jenny Lind could go with her beautiful 
voice that sounded like that of a bird. 

Not only the people of Paris but also the peo- 
ple of Berlin and London, and even the people of 
America were made very happy when Jenny Lind 
sang for them. Everyone thought that she was 
the most beautiful singer in the whole world. 

With all this, Jenny Lind was not satisfied 
until she had taken a great deal of the money 
that she had earned and given it away to people 
who needed it. After she had been singing for 
awhile she began the new plan of giving away a 
part of the money that she earned, in every place 
she visited. 

When she visited London, she left a large sum 
if money for one of its hospitals. In America 

32 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

she gave concerts for poor people and would not 
take any money for them. At one time she 
helped many of the poor people of Sweden. 

Jenny Lind worked hard to make her own 
wishes come true. But she did not forget the 
wishes of others. 



S3 



A BOY LIKE OTHER BOYS IN MANY WAYS 



I 



T is easy to guess what Henry did that most 
boys like to do. He played ball and flew a 
kite. Sometimes lie went swimming or hunt- 



ing with his big brother. When the circus came 
to town, Henry was there. After it was over, 
there was a good deal of circus at home. His sis- 
ters looked on and clapped their hands. They 
saw such wonderful sights ! 

Once the circus-rider got hurt. He was riding 
the wooden horse on the back porch. His sisters 
must have shouted "Three cheers for the rider! 
Keep it up ! Ride fast !" at any rate, the young 
rider was making his horse go ! Back and forth 
went the wodden rocking-horse. 

Then there was a CRASH ! and over went the 
circus-rider and horse. 

The girls cried, "Oh ! Oh ! Is anyone hurt?" 

"Only a neck broken/' replied Henry. Of 

34 




HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

course the horse was the unlucky one with the 
broken neck. 

In winter there was coasting, skating and rid- 
ing on sleds. Perhaps someone got hit with a 
snowball when this boy was around. 

On week da}^s there was school. At night he 
and his sisters sat around the sitting-room table 
to study. It was so quiet that you could hear the 
clock tick. When they were through, Hooray! 
There was a good time until bed-time. 

On Sunday Henry went to church, twice. 
Everyone in the family went unless there was 
sickness. In those days the churches were not 
heated well. Henry carried a foot-stove heated 
with live coals. This was passed along so that 
everyone could have a turn. 

On Sunday afternoons there were Bible stories 
at home. Henry liked these very well. When 
there were pictures to go with them, he liked 
them very, very well. 

When Henry was thirteen years old, one thing 
happened to show that he was not like other boys 

35 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

in every way. Henry heard about a fight be- 
tween a man and an Indian. It was on the 
shores of a body of water. Henry wrote a poem 
about it and called the poem THE BATTLE OF 
LOVELL'S POND. 

Henry did not want any one to know that he 
had written the poem. Lie would not tell any 
one but his sister. "I will tell you if you Avill 
promise not to tell," he told his sister. 

Henry mailed the poem to a newspaper of the 
city in which he lived. When the paper came 
out, Henry and his sister looked for the poem. 
How happy they were to find that it had been 
printed ! 

After this Henry wrote more poems. Lie 
worked so hard that in a few years he became a 
great poet. 

Now I will tell you what this poet wrote and 
then you will know his last name. He wrote 
HIAWATHA and THE CHILDREN'S HOUR. 

Now you surely know what his name is. Yes, 
it is LONGFELLOW. 

3G 



WHO BECAME GEEAT 

Once someone wrote a funny poem for a joke. 
They said that it was Henry W. Longfellow's 
first poem. Henry W. Longfellow did not write 
funny poems and he did not write this one. You 
may like to read it, just for fun. This is it : — 

Mr. Finney had a turnip and it grew behind the barn. 
It grew and it grew, and the turnip did no harm. 
It grew and it grew until it could grow no taller, 
"When Mr. Finney took it and put into the cellar. 
There it lay, there it lay, until it began to rot, 
When his daughter Susie washed it and put it into 

the pot. 
Then she boiled it and she boiled it, as long as she 

was able, 
When his daughter Lizzie took and put it on the table. 
Mr. Finney and his wife both sat down to sup ; 
They ate and they ate, until they ate the turnip up. 

Henry W. Longfellow's poems are better than 
this one. After you have read about Mr. Finney 
and his turnip, a few times you are tired of it. 
Mr. Longfellow's poems are so beautiful, you 
will like them better the more you read them. 

37 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

Ask your teacher to read THE CHILDREN'S 
HOUB or HIAWATHA. 

Some children like to learn this part of Hi- 
awatha : — ■ 

' ' Then the little Hiawatha learned of every bird its 

language, 
Learned their names and all their secrets ; 
Where they built their nests in summer, 
Where they hid themselves in winter ; 
Talked with them, whene 'er he met them ; 
Called them 'Hiawatha's Chickens. ' " 



38 




THOMAS EDISON 



A BOY WHO WAS NOT LIKE OTHER BOYS 
IN MANY WAYS 

WHEN Thomas Edison was a very little 
fellow he was missing one morning. His 
mother conld not find him although she 
had looked almost everywhere about the house 
and garden. At last she thought of the barn and 
went to look for Thomas there. 

What do you thing she saw when she reached 
the barn? She saw her son sitting on a nest of 
goose eggs because he thought that he could 
hatch them out more quickly than the goose 
mother. 

Now you know what happened to the eggs. 
Almost every shell broke and not one egg turned 
into a little goose. Thomas was sorry to think 
that Mrs. Goose could do so much better than he, 
but he was glad that he had learned something 
new about hatching. 

That was the way it was with Thomas. He 

39 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

was always trying to do hard tilings that most of 
the boys would not think of trying to do. 

Most of the boys went to school to learn to 
read and write. Thomas con Id go to school but 
two or three months in his life, but he learned to 
read and write as well as any of the boys. This 
is because he taught himself, with the help of his 
good mother. 

One time he read fifteen feet of books in the 
Public Library of Detroit, Michigan. He began 
at the bottom shelf and read every book. Then 
he read the books on the next shelf. When he 
had read fifteen feet of books someone stopped 
him. Perhaps he would have read every book in 
the Library if he had been allowed to go on. 

Thomas Edison was a poor boy and had to 
earn money as soon as he was old. enough to do 
so. When he was twelve years old he became a 
train boy on the Grand Trunk Eailroad. His 
work was to sell books, papers, candy and fruit. 
Thomas did his work well but he did not care to 
spend all of his time in this way. Someone gave 

40 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

Thomas some old type and a printing-press. He 
set up a work-shop in one corner of the baggage- 
car, and went to work to print a newspaper. 

You will wonder what kind of a newspaper a 
little fellow like Thomas could print, so I will 
tell you. He found out all about what was hap- 
pening on the Grand Trunk Railroad. Then he 
printed the news in his little paper. Thomas 
Edison's paper was no larger than the top of 
your school desk, but it contained interesting 
news and the passengers liked to buy it. Thomas 
charged but three cents for his paper, and 
printed one each week. It was the only paper 
that told about the news of a railroad, and 
Thomas soon found that the people were well 
pleased with it. He soon found that he was earn- 
ing a good many pennies each week, also. 

But one day a sad thing happened ! Thomas 
set fire to the baggage-car ! 

The conductor was a quick-tempered man who 
did not spend much time in saying or doing kind 
things. He ran into the baggage-car and put out 

41 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

the fire. Then he had the engineer stop the train 
at the next station, and in less time than it takes 
to tell about it, Thomas found himself on the sta- 
tion platform. And about his ears came his type, 
his press, and all that he had had in his work- 
shop. 

The train started up at once while Thomas 
stood alone on the platform. Thomas watched 
the train as it grew smaller and smaller in the 
distance and he was a sad young fellow. "I will 
have to start all over, now," he said, as he gath- 
ered up the things that lay scattered about on the 
platform. 

Thomas Edison went home where his father 
let him set up a AA^ork-shop in the cellar. 

Besides printing, Thomas Edison liked to 
study about e-lec-tric-i-ty. He had been in many 
depots and had often heard the ticking noise in 
the offices of the depot-agents. He knew that this 
ticking noise meant that someone was sending a 
message by e-lec-tric-i-ity, and Thomas wanted to 
learn all about it. He got a good book which he. 

42 



WHO BECAME OxKEAT 

studied every day. The book was called Tel-e- 
gra-phy, which is a very hard name, but Thomas 
Edison did not care about this. He knew that 
the long word was only another way of saying 
that messages could be sent by electricity. 

Thomas thought that it would be great fun to 
send messages to his friend who lived near by. 
One day he found a stove-pipe wire, a few old bot- 
tles and several other things that would be 
needed in order to send a message. "Now all I 
need is the electricity and I can send messages to 
my friend," he said. 

Thomas was thinking about it when he saw 
old Tabby the cat coming along "Oh! I know 
where I can get the electricity !" cried Thomas. 
"I have often seen sparks coming from old 
Tabby's back. There will be enough electricity 
to send many messages." 

Thomas caught Tabby and rubbed the poor old 
cat's back the wrong way to make sparks. I need 
not tell you what happened when Thomas did 
this because you know what your old cat would 

43 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

do if you were to rub his fur the wrong way. I 
need only tell you that Thomas could not get his 
electricity from old Tabby the cat. Nor could 
Thomas send messages to his friend along the 
stove-pipe wire. 

But Thomas Edison did not give up when 
things would not go his way. "Some day when I 
know more about electricity I will find out how 
to send messages to my friend," he said. 

In the meantime Thomas Edison worked 
harder than ever and learned many things that a 
young boy does not often know. He even found 
out what it means to be a hero as you will see. 

Thomas had just stepped on to the platform 
in front of a depot one day when he saw a big 
heavy freight-car coming along the railroad 
track. On the same track not far from the mov- 
ing car sat little Jimmie the station master's 
two-year-old boy. Jimmie was playing with 
some of the pebbles that lay about him. He 
thought it great fun to throw the pebbles over his 
shoulders. 

44 



WHO BECAME GEEAT 

Thomas saw the moving car and he saw little 
Jimmie. He threw away the bundle that he was 
carrying under his arm and dashed on to the rail- 
road track. He seized Jimmie and carried him 
off the track a moment before the freight train 
reached the spot where Jimmie had been sitting 
at play. 

If Thomas had been one second later he would 
have lost his life for the car touched the heel of 
his shoe just as he and Jimmie fell on to the next 
track. 

Thomas was scratched but little Jimmie was 
not hurt at all. Oh how glad the station master 
was when he saw this ! 

Jimmie's father the station master knew a 
great deal about the hard study called Tele- 
graphy that Thomas Edison liked so well. He 
told Thomas that he would teach him how to use 
a telegraph machine because of what he had done 
for his son Jimmie. 

Then it was Thomas's turn to be happy ! How 

45 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

pleased lie was ! And how eagerly lie listened to 
all that the station master told him ! 

It was not long before Thomas Edison knew 
what the station master knew and many other 
things as well. He kept on working with elec- 
tricity, and by the time he was twenty-one years 
of age he had become known as an inventor. 

Thomas Edison gave up telegraphy and spent 
all of his time working at inventions until there 
were hundreds of them. No doubt your father or 
mother or teacher can name many of these. 
Some of them have been very very useful. 

Thomas Edison learned how to send messages 
to his friend and he learned many other things 
that were much harder. 

If you have electricity in your houses you may 
think of Thomas Edison because it was he who 
worked many months in order that he might find 
a good way to use electricity in lighting houses. 

When you listen to a phonograph you may 
think of Thomas Edison because he was its in- 
ventor also. 

46 



WHO BECAME GKEAT 

And when you are looking at moving pictures 
you may think of Thomas Edison for he was the 
inventor of the wonderful machine that makes 
the wonderful moving picture. 



47 



THE BOY WHO WAS HIS OWN TEACHER 

IT was this way. There were sixteen children 
in the family. All of these children needed 

clothes. They needed food. Other things 
they would have to have. Mr. Franklin, their fa- 
ther, had very little money. So he took Benja- 
min out of school. 

Benjamin was only ten years old but he was a 
bright boy. Mr. Franklin said, "Benjamin can 
teach himself. He is a smart little fellow. He 
can help me make candles, too." 

Mr. Franklin was a candle-maker. He needed 
someone to twist the wicks and fill the candle- 
molds with melted tallow. 

Benjamin staid home from school to help his 
father. Once in a while his father gave him pen- 
nies to spend. The pennies jingled in Benja- 
min's pocket, one morning, and Benjamin was 
very happy. 

48 




BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

Down the street came another little fellow. 
He, too, was happy and well he might be. He 
had a bright tin whistle which Benjamin heard 
when he was afar off . 

"What a fine whistle you have/' Benjamin said 
to the little boy. 

"Yes, I bought it at the store over there," said 
the boy. 

Jingle, jingle went the pennies in Benjamin's 
pocket. Away went the owner of the pennies. 

"Any whistles today?" asked Benjamin of the 
store-keeper. 

"Yes, good ones," said the store-keeper. "How 
much do you want to pay?" 

"I will give you all I have," said Benjamin, 
and jingle, jingle went the pennies again. 

"Very well," answered the man. "Pick out 
any whistle you want." 

It did not take Benjamin long to choose. His 
eye had been on the bright tin whistle from the 
very first. 

"I will take this one," said Benjamin, Then 

49 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

lie gave the store-keeper the pennies that had 
been jingling in his pocket. 

Benjamin took the whistle home. He showed 
it to his brothers. His brothers laughed. They 
knew how much the whistle was worth. "You 
should not have given the man all your pennies," 
they said. "You have paid too much for your 
whistle." 

Benjamin Franklin often thought of this. He 
did not waste his time nor do things that would 
cost him clearly. "Don't pay too much for your 
whistle," he would say to himself. 

Benjamin did not like the work in the candle- 
shop. He thought that he could make more 
money at something else. 

Benjamin's brother was a printer. "You can 
help me for awhile. I will pay your board," the 
brother said. 

Benjamin went into his brother's shop where 
he learned a great deal about printing. Some- 
times he wrote articles and put them under his 
brother's door. His brother thought that they 

50 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

were good and printed them. Benjamin did not 
tell who wrote the articles. 

After awhile Benjamin said to his brother. 
"If you will pay me what my board costs I will 
buy my own food." 

The brother said, "I will do that if you wish." 

Benjamin bought food. It did not take all the 
money that his brother gave him. With the rest 
Benjamin bought books. These he read at night 
after his day's work was done. He learned many 
useful things from them. 

But it was not long before Benjamin wished to 
earn more money. He had heard of the large city 
of Philadelphia, and he made up his mind that he 
would go to it. 

Benjamin reached Philadelphia early one 
morning. He was very hungry. A man came 
along and told him where to find a baker's shop. 

Benjamin did not waste much time in getting 
to that baker's shop. He went as fast as he could 
and came out with three big rolls. One he ate as 
he went along. The other two he kept. There 

51 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

was one roll under each arm, and Benjamin 
looked very funny. 

Benjamin did not think of that. I suppose he 
thought, "My, but this roll tastes good." 

There was a very pretty girl standing in a 
doorway. Benjamin stopped eating long enough 
to look at her. He would have dropped all the 
rolls if he had known who she was to be. She 
was to be his own wife when they both grew up. 
They often laughed when they thought of the 
funny picture Benjamin had made with his three 
rolls. 

Benjamin had not been in Philadelphia long 
before he became a good printer. After awhile 
he became the publisher of a newspaper. He 
published an almanac that people liked to read, 
too. He called it Poor Richard's Almanac. 

Benjamin Franklin kept on studying all the 
time. He began to be looked upon as a very wise 
young fellow. 

In those days people did not know much about 
electricity. Now we light our houses with it. 

52 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

We use it in many ways. Benjamin Franklin 
saw the lightning in the sky. He said, "I believe 
that the lightning can be made of use in the 
world. I will see if I can bring it down in a safe 
way." 

Then Benjamin Franklin made a kite at the 
top of which he put a wire. This was to draw the 
lightning into the kite. The kite was fastened to 
a string at the end of which Avas a key. The end 
of the string held in Benjamin's hand was a silk 
ribbon. 

When a storm came up Benjamin went out and 
flew his kite. The lightning flashed ! Benjamin 
Franklin was not at all afraid. He hit the key a 
little and tiny sparks came from it. How glad 
he was ! He knew then, that the lightning could 
be brought down from the sky. 

Benjamin Franklin kept on making the light- 
ning do new things. At last he learned how to 
carry it into a house on rods and wires. Then he 
made it ring bells and do many things. 

The people thought this very wonderful. How 

53 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

much Benjamin Franklin has done for us," they 
said. 

The people were right. Benjamin Franklin 
taught himself useful things. Then he taught 
them to others. 



54 




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A GIRL WHO HAD ANIMAL FRIENDS 
THAT YOU AND I MAY SEE 

SOME people think that poor children cannot 
have any fun, but you and I know that this 
is not true at all. No doubt, you could 
name many poor children who are happy most of 
the time. This is because there are so many fine 
things in the world that do not have to be paid 
for with money. Some children know how to 
make use of these fine things. 

That is the way it was with Rosa Bonheur the 
little French girl. 

Rosa Bonheur lived in a city called Bordeaux, 
for awhile. Her father was an artist and the 
people of Bordeaux did not have enough money 
to buy many of his pictures. For this reason 
Rosa's father was very poor and Rosa did not 
have many of the toys that other girls had. 

But Rosa did not care about this, for she had 
many good times. She was happy when she 

55 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

could play in the woods or meadows where she 
gathered beautiful flowers. And she always had 
some pet animal at home, whom she loved as 
dearly as any child ever loved a toy. Sometimes 
it was a rabbit, other times it was a squirrel, or 
a stray kitten that had come to her back door. 
There was always some animal in Eosa's garden, 
and she could not feel poor with so many friends 
about her. 

Kosa made good use of her animal pets, too. 
She liked to make pictures of her animal friends. 
When she was only four years old she would take 
her father's brush and make daubs with it. If 
you were to have seen these daubs of paint you 
would not have known what they were meant to 
be, but Eosa knew. "A squirrel," she would say, 
or "A rabbit." These were Rosa's favorite pets 
at that time, and Eosa liked to think that she had 
made pictures of them. 

Eosa and her three brothers were very happy 
in Bordeaux, but the time came when Eosa's fa- 
ther had to move the whole family to Paris. This 

56 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

was because Paris was a larger city and Mr. 
Bonheur th ought that he might be able to sell 
more pictures there. 

The Bonheurs did not have a fine home in 
Paris. There was no garden and there were no 
fields about the house. Their home was up six 
flights of stairs and was not large nor even cozy. 
Some children would have been unhappy in such 
a poor home, and Rosa was a little unhappy at 
first, but this did not last long. Rosa had not 
been in Paris many weeks before someone gave 
her a beautiful sheep with long silky wool. 

It may be that Rosa's father and mother did 
not want their little girl to keep the pet because 
there was so little room for it. But they gave 
their consent at last, for the woolly sheep spent 
two years with Rosa. 

It must have seemed strange to the woolly 
sheep to have to lie on the floor of a house. Per- 
haps he would not have liked it very well if Rosa 
had made him lie there all the time. Rosa knew 
that the sheep liked to be near the ground where 

57 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

lie could smell the sweet grass and nibble a bit 
now and then. Eosa could not carry him down 
the six flights of stairs herself, so she got her 
kindest brother to do so. There was a little grass 
in the back yard which the sheep nibbled with 
great pleasure until night came. Then Eosa's 
kindest brother always carried him back into the 
house again. 

After awhile Rosa had other pets also. She 
had a pair of quails that walked about her bed- 
room, and she had some canary birds that had as 
pretty yellow feathers as you have ever seen. 

Eosa did not like to see her beautiful birds 
shut up in a cage all the time so she got her kind- 
est brother to help her out again. This time he 
made a net which he fastened to the outer side 
of the window so that the birds could be safely 
let out of their cages. 

Eosa loved her animal friends so dearly that 
she made up her mind to buy a farm when she 
grew up. On this farm she said she would have 
one of every kind of animal in the world. 

58 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

Her father laughed at these plans, but Rosa 
did not laugh. She was only sorry that she could 
not buy the farm and the animals that very day. 

Before Rosa was twelve years old, her mother 
died, and the three youngest children were sent 
to live with some cousins. Rosa was sent to a 
boarding-school. 

Here Rosa did not do very well. She was 
growing to be so fond of drawing her pets that 
she could think of nothing else. Like Michael 
Angelo, she drew pictures on her books instead 
of studying them. Her Arithmetic papers were 
never 100, and her Spelling papers were very 
poor. But her Drawing lessons were very good 
indeed, and when there were prizes for good 
drawings they always went to Rosa. 

In a short time Rosa's father took her out of 
school and sent her to a seamstress to learn how 
to sew. Rosa's father would never have done 
this if he had known how unhappy it was going 
to make his little girl. 

Rosa did not like to sew at all, and she could 

59 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

not draw because she had a needle in her hand 
instead of a pencil. She kept thinking of her 
pets at home and wishing that she were there to 
draw their pictures. 

Poor little Rosa ! She pricked her fingers at 
almost every stitch and she became pale and sad. 

At last Rosa's father came to visit his little 
girl, and Rosa threw her arms about his neck 
and begged him to take her home with him. 

Rosa's father saw that she was beginning to 
look pale. He took Rosa home again and left her 
in his studio while he went about the city giving 
drawing lessons. 

Oh how happy Rosa was now ! She would take 
her father's brush and try to paint the things 
that he had painted. Sometimes she drew with 
a pencil or a piece of charcoal, or modelled the 
figure of an animal out of clay. From morning 
until night she drew and modelled. 

Mr. Bonheur began at once to teach Rosa, and 
each day he became more and more amazed at 
her beautiful work. 

60 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

If Kosa had been like her father she would 
have painted many different kinds of objects, but 
Eosa did not do this. Kosa liked to paint and 
draw animals best of all and spent most of her 
time with them. 

One time she drew her pet goat and her father 
was so pleased with it he hardly knew what to 
say. Mr. Bonheur thought that this was the best 
drawing that his daughter had made, and told 
her about it. 

Rosa was so glad to know that the picture of 
the pet she loved so well had pleased her father. 
She set to work at once to draw other pets until 
she had many good pictures. 

One time Rosa Bonheur drew a picture of two 
rabbits eating carrots, and this was so good that 
some people asked her to let them hang it in the 
gallery where fine pictures were often hung. 

Many people stopped to look at the picture of 
the rabbits while it hung in the gallery. If it had 
hung near enough to the floor the children would 
have surely tried to stroke the white coats of the 

61 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

.pet rabbits for they looked so soft and furry. 
Many people were pleased to see so good a pic- 
ture. 

But Kosa Bonheur wanted to paint still better 
pictures so she kept on working harder and 
harder. 

Eosa was too poor to pay for models. After 
she had painted all of her own pets she had to 
walk many miles into the country each day until 
she found an animal that she thought people 
would like to see in a picture. 

There were some oxen plowing a field on the 
side of a hill, one Spring morning. Bosa thought 
that they would make a very pretty picture, so 
she drew them. 

You should have seen how real they looked in 
the picture! Some of the oxen were pulling 
harder than others. The ones that Avere nearest 
the plow were doing the most work, while the 
ones that were the farthest away, were not doing 
much at all. 

62 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

Rosa noticed this at once, and did not forget to 
tell about it in her picture. 

Another time Rosa found an ass that had 
pulled a heavy load and had then been turned out 
into a field to rest awhile, and to eat some fresh 
grass. 

Rosa painted the picture of this ass, and she 
made him look just as tired as he looked while 
standing in the grassy field. He looked stub- 
born, too. You would have a hard time ^ettino- 
him to work any more until he had rested. 

One day, when Rosa Bonheur had grown to be 
a young woman, she made up her mind that she 
would try to paint a good horse picture. She set 
to work to study horses, and for eighteen months 
Rosa Bonheur visited horse fairs and horse 
markets. She studied her own horses, too, as 
well as those of her friends. 

When she had finished studying, she could 
draw horses that surprised even the people who 
owned them and she knew a great deal about 
them. She could draw a horse that wou] d prance 

63 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

about in suck a way that you would almost want 
to step out of its path, for fear of being trodden 
upon. And when she drew a horse that was 
standing still, you would think that someone had 
just said "Whoa" to it. 

When Rosa Bonheur had studied horses until 
she could draw them as well as this, she made a 
picture of a group of them. She called the pic- 
ture THE HORSE FAIR and she made it two- 
thirds as large as real horses should be. It was 
so large that she had to stand on a step-ladder 
while painting some parts of it. 

Oh how hard Rosa worked on this picture, and 
what a wonderful picture it was ! It was the best 
work that Rosa Bonheur had ever done, and peo- 
ple came from all over the country, to see it. 
Some men thought it so good that they offered to 
pay thousands of dollars for it ! 

This made Rosa Bonheur very happy indeed. 
But she was even more pleased to know that she 
could make pictures that looked just like the ani- 
mals she loved so dearly. 

64 



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A GIEL WHOSE TWO HANDS DID 
WONDEEFUL THINGS FOE HEE 

WHAT would you say if someone were to 
ask you to tell the most wonderful thing 
that you could do with one or both of 
your two hands? 

Perhaps you would tell about being able to 
build a toy airship or run an automobile. Per- 
haps you would say that you could play well on 
the violin or piano. It might be hard to name the 
most wonderful thing that your two busy hands 
could do with their ten busy fingers. 

When Helen Keller was a little girl it would 
have been very hard for her to have answered the 
question. This is because Helen Keller was 
blind, deaf, and dumb, and her hands were very 
wonderful indeed. They did the work of both 
eyes and ears, and it would have been hard to tell 
which work was the greater. Just how the little 

65 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

girl used her hands for eyes and ears you will 
know before you have finished this story. 

Helen Keller was not always deaf and dumb 
and blind. When she was a tiny baby she could 
see and hear just as well as any child of her age. 
She could talk, too, in baby fashion. At the age 
of six months she said, "How d'ye?" and "Tea, 
tea, tea." A little later she learned to say the 
hard word, "Water." 

I suppose she laughed when her mother played 
"Peek-a-boo," or when her father let her play 
"Ride-a-cock-korse." When she was tired her 
mother rocked her to sleep with soft lullabies 
that all babies like to hear on their way to Sleepy 
Town. 

When Helen was one year old she took her first 
steps. Her mother had just taken her out of the 
bath-tub, and Helen was looking about with her 
bright little eyes. Suddenly she saw the shadows 
of some leaves dancing in the sunlight on the 
bath-room floor. Helen forgot that she was a 
baby just one year old. She left her mother's 

GG 




HELEN KELLER 



FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY L. A HOLMAN 
PERMISSION OF THE YOUTH'S COMPANION 



WHO BECAME GEEAT 

arms and almost ran to the place where the 
shadows were dancing. Then she mnst have be- 
come frightened, for she fell, and her mother 
picked her lip at once. After that, Helen learned 
to walk quickly, for she had taken the first steps 
which are the hardest, as you know. 

Little Helen might have gone on learning new 
things each day had not a sad thing happened. 
She became very ill when she was nineteen 
months old. For a long time everyone thought 
that she would not get well at all. At last she 
grew better, but the sickness had left the clear 
little baby blind and deaf, as well as dumb. 

You will not want to hear about the many sad 
days that followed. Little Helen went about 
most of the day clinging to her mother's skirts 
and making signs to tell what she wanted. 

Helen's father and mother were very kind and 
did what they could to make their daughter 
happy, but it seemed of no use. Helen wanted to 
talk, and to hear others talk to her. She wanted 
to know what was going on in the world, too. 

67 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

Helen grew sadder every day until her only 
happiness seemed to be her father's beautiful 
garden. Helen lived in a little town in Alabama. 
Her house was covered with beautiful climbing 
vines and there were roses, honeysuckles, and 
many other sweet smelling flowers about the 
garden. 

Helen could smell sweet odors as well as any 
child. She could feel things with her ten little 
fingers also. She was always glad to go into the 
garden when the flowers were in blossom. 'She 
would smell of them and touch their daintv 
petals. But for a long time she did not know the 
names of the flowers nor could she tell any of her 
friends about them. How she wished that she 
might talk to her friends in some way, or know 
what they wished to say to her ! 

One day Helen's father heard of a deaf and 
blind girl who had learned to read, and to talk 
with others by the use of her two hands. Helen's 
father made up his mind to get a teacher for his 
little girl, if it could be done. 

68 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

In order to do this, he had to visit a distant 
cit}^ and a few months later, a kind teacher went 
to live at Helen's house. 

Then Helen Keller's happy days began. The 
kind teacher knew that her pupil's hands could 
be taught to do great things, and she did not 
waste any time in beginning the work of training 
them. 

Very soon after she had come, the teacher gave 
Helen a beautiful doll. In the palm of Helen's 
hand she wrote the letters "d-o-1-1." She did this 
until Helen had learned to know the word. 

After awhile Helen was taught to write the 
word "doll" in her teacher's hand. How happy 
she was then ! She ran to her mother and wrote 
the word again and again. It was a new way of 
talking with people, and this is what Helen had 
always wanted to do. 

In a short time Helen knew the words "pin," 
"hat," "cup," "sit," "stand," and "walk." Before 
long she learned that every object has a name. 
When she gathered daisies or buttercups she was 

69 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

taught to spell the words that stand for these 
beautiful flowers. If a little girl visited her, she 
at once learned the word "girl." If someone gave 
her an apple, Helen was taught to spell the word 
that stands for this good-tasting fruit. You see 
the kind teacher was helping Helen train her 
hands to take the place of eyes and ears, and the 
little girl found the task more pleasant every 
day. 

After Helen Keller had learned to spell words, 
she was given slips of card-board on which were 
printed words in raised letters. These words 
made sentences which the little girl soon learned 
to read. 

When she could read what was printed on the 
slips she was given a printed book with raised 
letters. Can you imagine how delighted she 
must have been with her first book? Most chil- 
dren are well pleased when they have finished 
reading from the blackboard at school, and are 
given a primer. Helen was even more pleased 
than this, as you may suppose. 

70 



WHO BECAME GBEAT 

Beading was not all that Helen could do. 
When she was ten years of age she began to learn 
how to talk. She would place her fingers lightly 
upon the throat or lips of the person who was 
speaking. This she did in order that she might 
find out what movement there was. Then she 
would try to make the same movement with her 
throat or lips. This was no easy task, but Helen 
would not give up until she had learned to speak. 
She could not talk just like other children be- 
cause she could not hear whether or not she was 
using the right tone. But she was very glad to 
be able to say anything at all. She liked to talk 
so well that when there were no people about, she 
would talk to her toys, to the stones that lay upon 
the ground, or to the beautiful trees that grew 
about her pleasant home. 

Helen Keller grew happier each day, for she 
was learning to do many useful things. The time 
came when she could even read books like "Little 
Lord Fauntleroy," "Bobinson Crusoe," "Little 
Women," or "The Arabian Nights." 

71 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

When she had been studying a number of 
years, she made up her mind that she would go to 
college. And you may be surprised to hear that 
Heller Keller did this very thing. She went to 
college and worked at hard studies like Physical 
Geography, French, German, and Greek History. 
When she was not studying she would draw, em- 
broider, row a boat, ride a tandem bicycle, or 
play chess. 

After a time Helen Keller was through col- 
lege. Then she wrote interesting books that 
many people have been glad to read. 

All this could be done by a blind and deaf girl 
because her two hands did such great things to 
help her. 



72 




LOUISE M. ALCOTT 



A GIRL WHO LIKED TO HAVE FUN 

IT was a beautiful day and Louise Alcott did 
not want to stay at home. Away she ran, 

down the road, far from her father's house. 
Soon she saw some children playing in a yard. 
Louise always liked strange children. "Hello," 
she said. "Hello," the children said. "Come in 
and play." 

Louise liked to have fun. She went to play 
with her new friends. 

The children had a good time all afternoon. 
After awhile it began to grow dark. The friends 
went into their house. They did not ask Louise 
to go with them. She was left all alone. 

The lamp-lighter came along and lighted the 
street lamps. Louise wanted to go home but she 
did not know the way. She walked up and down 
the street. "Oh dear ! Oh dear !" she cried. "I 
wish that I could go home." 

73 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

Soon she saw a dog on a door-step. She sat 
down next to him. It seemed so good to have 
found a friend. Before long the dog went to 
sleep. Louise went to sleep, too. Louise rested 
her head on the dog's back. 

By and bye the little girl was awakened by a 

loud bell. A man called out, "LOST A 

LITTLE GIRL SIX YEAKS OLD. WEAKS A 
PINK DKESS AND NEW GKEEN SHOES." 

"Why, that means me," said Louise, getting up 
at once. 

The man heard the voice. He was the town 
crier. Louise's father had sent him to look for 
the little girl. 

Hoav happy Louise was ! How happy the town 
crier was to have found her ! How very happy 
the father and mother were when they saw her ! 

Louise's father had a library. Louise liked 
books. She would go into the library and take 
down the biggest books. Then she would build 
houses and bridges. Sometimes she built walls 
and towers. 

74 






WHO BECAME GEEAT 

One time Louise's baby sister was playing on 
the floor. Louise built a wall around her. Then 
someone must have called, "Come out and play, 
Louise," for off she went. She left the baby sis- 
ter inside of the high wall. 

Little Lizzie was asleep when her mother 
found her. She was a new kind of prisoner. 

Sometimes Louise and her friends pla}^ed 
fairy stories. Onee they played Jack and the 
Beanstalk. They had a squash-vine for the bean- 
stalk. One of the boys was the Giant. Someone 
cut the stalk and down fell the Giant. He had a 
good bump, that time. 

Sometimes Louise and her friends played Pil- 
grim. They took sticks for staffs and walked 
over the hill. 

Louise liked to play with dolls, too. She could 
make pretty clothes for them. When she was 
twelve years old she hung a sign in her window. 
It read : 

DOLL DKESSMAKEB 

LOUISE M. ALCOTT. 

75 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

In the window Louise also put some pretty 
dresses and hats that she had made. The chil- 
dren liked the hats the best. Some of them 
would ask Louise to make hats for their dolls. 
Louise was very glad to do this. She would say, 
"What kind of a hat shall I make?" 

Most of the children would say, "The ones in 
the window are the best kind. The feathers are 
so pretty." 

"Very well/' Louise would answer. Then 
away she would go for the feathers. Her fa- 
ther's chickens could have told us more about 
that. 

Louise earned a good many pennies making 
hats. She thought it great fun to earn the pen- 
nies. She would say, "Some day I shall make a 
great deal of money." 

Louise thought it fun to tell stories, too. She 
would tell them to her sisters after they were all 
in bed. Sometimes they would get frightened. 
Then they would hide under the covers. Louise 

76 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

would hide too. She would forget that the 
stories were not true. 

When Louise Aleott grew up she wrote nian}^ 
long stories. She earned the money she had said 
that she would earn. One story was called "LIT- 
TLE WOMEN." The little women were her sis- 
ters and herself. You will like to read other 
stories that she wrote too. Here are some of 
them: 

LITTLE MEN 

ROSE IN BLOOM 

AN OLD FASHIONED GIRL 

JACK AND JILL 

UNDER THE LILACS. 

MY GIRLS 

EIGHT COUSINS 

MY BOYS 

LULU'S LIBRARY 



77 



A GIRL WHO LIKED TO READ STORIES 
AND WRITE THEM 

IT was story night at the school. The best 
pupils had been asked to write stories. These 

the teacher read to all the people. 

Each time the teacher read a story, the people 
clapped their hands. For some stories they 
clapped louder than for others. When one story 
was read the clapping was the loudest of all. 

People began to talk. "What a fine story!" 
they said. "Can a pupil have written it?" 
Everyone wanted to know who had done such 
good work. 

At last Mr. Beecher called out, "Please tell us 
who wrote that story. It is such a good one." 

"Your daughter Harriet wrote it," answered 
the teacher. 

When Mr. Beecher heard this he was very 
much surprised. How pleased he was! And 

78 




HARRIET BEECHERSTOWE 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

how glad Harriet was to see her father so well 
pleased ! 

Harriet made her father happy in many ways. 
Before she was six years old she had learned 
twenty-seven hymns. Besides this, she could re- 
peat two long chapters of the Bible. 

Mr. Beecher was a minister and liked to have 
his daughter learn verses from the Bible. He 
liked to have her write stories also. 

Harriet did not read and write stories all the 
time. She liked to play too. Yon should have 
seen her doll. It was made of wood and had 
glass eyes that stared at you in a funny way. 
The paint was washed off its cheeks and its hair 
was badly out of curl. 

Harriet thought that it was a very fine doll 
for it was one of her best friends. When she 
went to the woods the doll went also. When she 
wrote stories the doll sat beside her and kept 
very very still. When she gathered nuts or ber- 
ries the doll was the first one to taste of the good 

79 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

things. At night the doll was tucked up in bed 
with its little mother. 

Near Harriet's home there were fields, ponds 
and even woods, so that Harriet had many a good 
time out-of-doors. She liked to gather the wild 
flowers that grew in the fields. She liked to help 
her brothers sail their boats on the ponds. In 
the Fall she gathered chestnuts and walnuts in 
the beautiful woods. 

On Sunday Harriet and her brothers went to 
church where their father, Mr. Beecher preached. 
They all rode in a big wagon wi th a skin thrown 
over the seat. The skin took the place of a cush- 
ion. 

The two dogs went to church too. They tried 
to be quiet as all church-going dogs should be. 
One of the dogs did very well. Now and then he 
would snap a feAV flies but this did not happen 
often. He would curl up on the rug near the 
door and take a long nap. 

The other dog did not do so well. Sometimes 
he walked down the aisle and looked at all the 

80 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

people. Then lie would yawn out loud so that it 
was hard for Harriet to keep from laughing. 
The sermons in those days were long and the dog 
got tired. Once in awhile he would fall asleep 
and have a bad dream. When all was quiet, 
"Bow-wow, bow-wow," would come from the back 
of the church. Everyone would look around. 
One little girl always giggled. At last Harriet 
had to leave the dogs at home. You see, barking 
clogs do not make good church-goers. 

On Sunday afternoons Harriet read Bible 
stories. She liked these very well but she also 
liked the books that she read on week days. 
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS was her best friend. 
She had found it in the attic while looking over 
some barrels of old papers. This fine story book 
was at the bottom of one of the barrels. 

Harriet's father, as we have told you, was a 
minister, and wrote many sermons. In the attic 
he had several barrels of old sermons and 
pamphlets. Harriet liked to upset these barrels. 
Then the old sermons and pamphlets would fall 

81 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

out and Harriet could read the titles. Some of 
these were very queer and Harriet did not al- 
ways understand them. Now and then she found 
something that she could understand, and this 
brought her great joy. When she found THE 
ARABIAN NIGHTS, one rainy day, you may 
know she was very very happy. 

There were times when Harriet's brothers did 
not care to take Harriet with them when they 
went on their fishing trips or when they played 
games that boys liked to play. Then Harriet al- 
ways got out her dear friend THE ARABIAN 
NIGHTS. She never got lonesome when she had 
this good story-book to read. 

If you have ever curled up in a big chair with 
a good story-book, you will know why Harriet 
did not get lonesome when her brothers left her 
at home. 

Sometimes Harriet took her friend THE 
ARABIAN NIGHTS upstairs into her father's 
study room. Here it was very quiet because 
Harriet's father went to the study room to write 

82 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

his sermons. Harriet's father always sat in his 
study chair and rested his elbows on a big table. 

Harriet liked to sit in the big arm-chair that 
stood in one corner of the room. She kept very 
very still as she sat there. Sometimes she looked 
around at the rows of books that stood on shelves 
all about the walls of the room, from floor to 
ceiling. She tried to read the titles of the books 
that were nearest her. Most of the time Harriet 
had her friend THE ARABIAN NIGHTS with 
her. Then she read with great delight while her 
father wrote busily on a sermon. 

One happy day Harriet's father brought home 
a new book of stories about Harriet's own coun- 
try THE UNITED STATES, and Harriet loved 
her country more and more as she read about it. 

Harriet's uncle was a sea-captain. When he 
came to visit, he often brought new books with 
him. These he read aloud to Harriet and the 
rest of the family. Harriet's Aunt Mary read 
some of the books aloud, also. 

Harriet grew fast just as most boys and girls 

83 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

do. When she had grown to be a young woman 
she married a man whose name was Mr. Stowe. 
She called herself Harriet Beecher Stowe. 

After this, Harriet Beecher Stowe was very 
busy indeed, for it was not long before she had 
little children of her own. But she always found 
time to read good stories and even write them. 

One day Harriet Beecher Stowe began to write 
a story. She wrote busily for many days until it 
was finished. It was such a long story it made a 
book, and Harriet Beecher Stowe called the book 
UNCLE TOM'S CABIN. It was about a negro 
named Uncle Tom, and was the best story that 
Harriet Beecher Stowe had ever written. All 
over the world people wanted to buy the book. 
People felt more friendly toward the negroes 
after they had read it. 

Before many years had passed all the slaves 
were set free. 

The story of UNCLE TOM'S CABIN had 
helped to free them. 



84 




WOLFGANG MOZART 



A LITTLE BOY WITH A LONG NAME 

A NOTICE was once posted up in the big 
city of London. The notice was printed 
in big letters. It said that a little boy 
was coming to play the clavier for the people of 
London. The clavier was the kind of piano that 
was used then. 

The boy was eight years old. His name was 
Wolfgang Mozart. At least, this was a part of 
his name. 

Wolfgang lived at a time when few children 
could play on the clavier. He had come many 
miles to play for the people of this big city. He 
wanted to earn money for his father who was 
very poor. 

The people said "What ! Can such a little boy 
make good music ? It can't be true ! We will go 
and see." 

Then they went to hear little Wolfgang Mo 

85 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

zart play. The hall was filled with people. 
Everyone looked to catch sight of the boy Avho 
was so young to play. 

At last he came in. What a dear little fellow 
he was ! He had such a beautiful face and his 
eyes shone with joy. 

While he played, some cried, others smiled. 
It was the most beautiful music that many had 
ever heard. 

A great many of the people gave the little boy 
beautiful presents. Wolfgang had so many 
things he could have started a shop. There were 
toys, candies, books and even laces and shaw]s. 

A few of the people could not believe that such 
a little boy could play so well. They thought 
that there must be some trick about it. They in- 
vited Mr. Mozart and his son to visit them. They 
found some music that the child had never seen. 
This they asked him to play. He did so well they 
were ashamed. He even let them cover the keys 
of the clavier with a cloth. Then he played with- 

86 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

out being able to see any notes. After that, lie 
made up pieces. 

The people did not knoAV what to think of it. 
The boys father was pleased. He said, "My lit- 
tle boy conld play when he was but three years 
old." 

Mr. Mozart spoke the truth. When the boy 
was only three, he could play little tunes. At 
four, he could learn a short piece in half an hour. 
When he didn't have any more music, he would 
make up some. 

When Wolfgang Mozart was four years old, 
his father gave a party. Many friends came. 
One of these friends saw a piece of music on the 
clavier. The friend played the piece. Everyone 
listened. How very beautiful it was ! 

Mr. Mozart said, "I never heard that piece. 
Who wrote it?" 

His friend said, "I found it on your clavier." 

Mr. Mozart called his daughter. He said, 
"Did you write that piece of music?" 

87 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

"No, father," she answered. "I did not write 
it." 

Then Mr. Mozart thought of Wolfgang. 
"Surely my little boy did not write it," he said. 
"He could not write such a beautiful piece, for 
he is too young." 

"Ask him," one of the friends said. 

Mr. Mozart called the child. "What do you 
know about that piece of music over there?" he 
asked. As she spoke, he pointed to the clavier. 

"I will show you," replied the boy. 

Wolfgang sat down and played the music for 
Mr. Mozart and his friends. They all clapped 
their hands. Wolfgang was the one Avho had 
written the music ! 

In a few years the King asked Wolfgang to 
play for him. The little fellow pleased the King 
very much. The King's daughter was also 
pleased. The little boy would jump up into the 
lap of the princess and kiss her. He thought 
that she was a fine lady, for she w r as very good to 
him. 

88 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

Wolfgang liked the princess very much indeed, 
but he liked his father the best of all. He would 
say, "Next to God comes papa." 

Wolfgang Mozart went to play in London. 
We have told you about that. After awhile he 
left London. He went to other cities. Everyone 
was glad to hear him. 

At one time Wolfgang was taken ill and had to 
stay in bed for a long time. "I will do as you 
wish," he said to the people who took care of him. 
"Will }^ou do something for me? Get me a piece 
of paper, a pencil and a board. You can lay the 
board across the bed." 

The little fellow's wishes were granted, and on 
the paper Wolfgang wrote beautiful music. 

This was not the last time that Wolfgang 
wrote music. When he was well enough to be 
about again he kept on writing beautiful pieces. 
He wrote and wrote for many years. When he 
had grown to be a man someone counted his 
pieces. There were more than six hundred of 
them. Wolfgang Mozart had worked very hard, 

89 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

for he was only a young man when he died. 

Now it is your turn to work hard, also. Wolf- 
gang had a long name and you will want to learn 
to read it. This is the long name : JOHANNES 
CHKYSOSTOMUS WOLFGANG TIIEOPHI- 
LUS SIGISMUNDUS MOZAET. 



90 




FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE 



A KIND NURSE 

THEY named her Florence because she was 
born in Florence, Italy. Her last name was 
Mghtingale. 

Florence Mghtingale lived in Italy, for 
awhile. Then her parents moved to England. 
They had a beautiful home. This time it was in 
the country. 

Florence was a very happy little girl. She 
had many toys. Some people said that she could 
have as many dolls as she wanted. 

Florence did not sew for her dolls nor did she 
go visiting with them. She liked to play that 
they were sick. Then she would care for them. 
Sometimes she tied up their legs or arms when 
they were broken. 

There were many animals about Florence's 
home. When they were sick she cared for them, 
too. 

91 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

In the woods near by, was a cottage. In the 
cottage lived a shepherd with a dog named Cap. 
The shepherd had no family. Cap the dog was 
all the family he had. Cap was a very fine dog. 
He never let anyone harm the sheep. He was 
fond of his master and tried hard to please him. 

Florence was out riding with a friend, one 
day. They saw the shepherd in the field, but Cap 
was not there. 

"Where's Cap?" they asked of the shepherd. 

"Poor dog. I fear that I shall have to kill 
him," the shepherd said. 

"Kill poor Cap!" cried Florence. "Why do 
you wish to do that?" 

"Oh," answered the shepherd. "His leg is 
broken. Some bad boys hit him with a stone." 
The shepherd looked very sad. With Cap gone 
he would have no family at all. 

"I am very sorry for you," said Florence. "At 
my home are many animals. When they are 
sick, I care for them. May I see your dog?" 

The shepherd told Florence and her friend to 

92 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

follow him. He led them up to the cottage where 
the dog was. 

Florence got some water and bathed Cap's leg 
gently. She found that it was not broken after 
all. It was only badly bruised. Florence cared 
for the dog until it was well enough to tend the 
sheep again. The shepherd was glad that he 
would not have to lose his f amity. 

Florence had many animal friends. Behind 
her house was a board walk on either side of 
which were tall trees. When Florence dropped 
nuts the squirrels would run down the trees and 
help themselves to a feast. Florence did not 
frighten the animals at all. 

Peggy was a little gray pony. She, too, was 
one of Florence's friends. When Florence went 
into the pasture Peggy would run to meet her. 
She would put her nose into Florence's dress 
pocket and pick out an apple or a piece of bread. 
Florence did not often forget to put an apple into 
her pocket for Peggy. 

When Florence was a little girl she liked to 

93 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

care for her dolls and animals. But as she grew 
older she cared still more about being kind to 
sick people. She wanted to learn all about nurs- 
ing so she read many books that told about it. 
After awhile she went to a nursing school where 
she learned useful things that a good nurse 
should know. 

She went back to her father's home, and when 
she heard of sick people who were poor, she cared 
for them without pay. "I do not need any money/' 
she said. Florence's father had plenty of money, 
and this was why Florence would not take any 
from the poor people. 

Then Florence Nightingale visited hospitals in 
other countries. When she got back she tried to 
make the hospitals of England as good as the 
ones she had visited. 

Finally a great war broke out, many miles 
from home. The winter was a cold one, and the 
soldiers were having hard times. Many were 
sick and without nurses. No one wanted to go. 

At last Florence Nightingale made up her 

94 



WHO BECAME GEEAT 

mind. "I will go to nurse the soldiers," she said. 

After many days she reached the far-away 
country. The soldiers were glad to see her. 
Florence was glad that she had come. Soon she 
had other nurses to help her. 

Florence Mghtingale helped to save many 
lives that cold winter. She was a kind nurse to 
the sick men. Many would have died if she had 
not taken care of them. 

When Florence Mghtingale went back to her 
home in England the people gave her a large sum 
of money because she had done so much for the 
soldiers. Florence Mghtingale did not keep the 
money. She used it to pay for a training school 
where other girls might learn how to become 
good nurses also. 

After awhile she wrote a book that told all 
about what to do for sick people. 



<>: 



.» 



A POOR BOY AND WHAT BECAME OF HIM 

THERE once lived a very poor little boy 
named Abraham Lincoln. He did not live 
in a house like yours. His first home was a 
log cabin. 

The cabin had but one window which had no 
glass in it at all. In winter the window was cov- 
ered with wood. In summer it was left open. 
Inside the cabin were three-legged stools, a table, 
and a few dishes. In the winter the cold came 
through the cracks of the cabin. 

There were wild animals living in the woods 
about Abraham Lincoln's home. Bears, wolves 
and panthers ran about from place to place. 
There were raccoons, and even fierce wildcats 
and timid deer lived in the forest. Abraham was 
glad that there were so many animals about. 
His father hunted them, his mother broiled or 
roasted them for supper, and Abraham helped to 

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STATUE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN— ST. GAUDENS 



WHO BECAME GKEAT 

eat them. In the winter when the cold winds 
swept through the forest, broiled or roasted meat 
tasted good to the Lincoln family. 

Abraham's mother made corn cakes too. 
These were baked in the ashes and Abraham 
thought that they were very fine cakes. 

It is no wonder that the fresh meat and cakes 
tasted good to Abraham, for he was such a hard 
worker. He was up with the birds in the sum- 
mer, and up before the birds were awake, in the 
winter. All day long he worked as hard as he 
could. His father cut down the trees, his mother 
cut off the branches, and Abraham and his sister 
Sarah piled the brush into big heaps. Some- 
times Abraham went hunting with his father, or 
fishing in the cool streams. He had to fetch the 
water for the family to drink, and help plant and 
care for the corn in the garden. 

Abraham worked hard but he was out-of-doors 
most of the time, and the things that he did 
proved to be good for him. He grew tall and 
strong, and when he was seven years old, you 

97 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

would have thought that he was a boy of nine or 
even ten years. 

When Abraham was eight years old his father 
moved the family to a new home in Indiana. 
This home was also in the midst of the woods 
and Abraham's father had to clear a place for 
his camp. 

Mr. Lincoln built a half -faced camp. It was 
made of logs and was open on one side. On this 
side a log fire was kept burning night and day. 

If you were to have lived in this house in the 
summer time you might have thought it very fine, 
but I am sure that you would not have liked it in 
the winter. Sometimes the wind blew so hard 
that the smoke from the fire blew right into the 
house, and the family had to go out-of-doors into 
the cold, to get away from the smoke. At other 
times the snow came in, and Abraham and his 
sister had to pull their deer-skin clothes tightly 
about them to keep warm and dry. 

Abraham was busy here, just as he had been 
in his first home. He was learning to be a better 

98 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

hunter every day, and a better farmer, too. He 
was a great help to his father, and at the end of 
the first year Mr. Lincoln had time to build a 
new home that was better than the half-faced 
camp with its three sides. 

Abraham's new home was not a cozy one for it 
had only the earth for a floor and a hole for a 
door, in which was hung an untanned deer's hide. 
The winds came through the cracks of this cabin, 
also, but it was better than the old one, and the 
Lincoln family was glad to have it. 

Abraham's mother made good clothes for her 
husband and children, and these helped to keep 
them warm in spite of their cold house. 

Abraham wore moccasins of deer-skin. His 
shirt was made of wool and cotton that his 
mother had woven and colored with a dye made 
of roots and bark. He had deer-skin breeches 
and a deer-skin hunting coat. On his head was 
a raccoon skin cap with a tail that hung down 
the back of his neck. 

Abraham's clothes were warm but rough look- 

99 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

ing. They made Abraham look rather queer for 
he had "grown like a weed" and was tall and 
awkward. 

But Abraham did not think about his rude 
clothes. He was growing to be a fine young fel- 
low, always eager to learn new things. 

There was no school to attend every day. Now 
and then a teacher passed through that part of 
the country and held school for a few weeks, and 
then Abraham and his sister were to be found 
among the pupils. One time they walked five 
miles to attend one of these schools. 

Abraham and Sarah did not mind this. They 
would have been glad if the school had lasted 
longer than a few weeks, but it never did. When 
I tell you that Abraham went to school but four 
months in his life you will know that the teach^ 
ers did not care to stay long in that rough 
wooded country. 

Abraham would not give up trying to learn, 
just because there was no school. He wanted to 
learn to write well but he had no paper, for he 

100 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

was too poor to buy any. So he wrote on a shovel 
and for a pencil he used charcoal. When the 
shovel was covered he rubbed off the charcoal. 

Abraham liked to read but he had only a few 
books, and there were no libraries. Abraham 
had to borrow books from people who had more 
than he. These he read at night by the light of 
the fire. When he was through, he put the books 
into his book-case. The cracks between the logs 
he used for a book-case. 

After Abraham had put the books away he 
would go to sleep on his bed of dry leaves. 

One night there was a heavy rain. It got into 
Abraham's book-case. One of the borrowed 
books got very wet. 

"What shall I do? What shall I do?" cried 
the poor boy when he saw what had happened. 
"I cannot pay for the book for I have no money, 
but I am strong and I can work hard. I will 
work to pay for it." 

Abraham went to the man who owned the 
book. "I am very sorry," he said. "The rain got 

101 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

into my book-case and almost rained your book. 
I wish, that I could pay for it but I cannot. I am 
too poor to do that. I will work for it. I will 
work as long as you wish." 

The man said, "Very well, you may work three 
days." 

Then Abraham worked for three days pulling 
corn. He was glad that the man would let him 
do something to pay for the book. 

The Lincolns had not lived in their new home 
long before other settlers began to come. In a 
few years there was a store and a blacksmith 
shop. Once in a while Abraham had a chance to 
read a newspaper, too. This he enjoyed very 
much. He was getting the idea that there was 
much to learn outside of the small part of the 
country in which he lived. 

For this reason Abraham was glad when a 
friend took him to New Orleans on a flat-boat. 
The boat was loaded with bacon, potatoes and 
other country produce which was exchanged for 
cotton, tobacco and sugar. Lincoln learned 

102 



WHO BECAME GKEAT ' 

many things while on this trip and received eight 
dollars a month and his board. 

A short time after this, xibraham's father 
moved to Illinois and Abraham worked at odd 
jobs on the farms about his home. The people 
liked to have Abraham work for them because he 
did his work well and was so very honest. He 
had strong muscles, too, and could work a lono- 
time without getting tired. 

When Abraham was twenty-two years of age 
he was asked to go to New Orleans on a flat-boat 
again. Abraham was only too glad to make a 
second trip to New Orleans and he made good 
use of his time while on the way. 

Abraham was beginning to feel that it would 
be better for him to go out and see more of the 
world, now that he was old enough to do so. 
When he returned to his father's home he told of 
his plans, and before many weeks had passed he 
had found a position in a country store. 

Here he again won many friends by his honest 
habits. 

103 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

One day a woman came into the store to buy 
some tea. Abraham made a mistake and gave 
the woman less tea than she had paid for. 

He did not notice the mistake until the woman 
had left the store and gone to her home. 

"Oh my !" he said when he found what he had 
done. "I have given the woman too little tea. 
She is poor and will need all the tea that she paid 
for. I Avill take it to her." 

Abraham walked two miles into the country 
to give the woman the tea. It is not strange that 
the woman thought Abraham an honest lad. 

Abraham had a chance to show that he was 
patriotic as well as honest. An Indian War 
called The Black Hawk War broke out, and 
Abraham Lincoln left at once to join the army. 
Some of the soldiers left at the end of the first 
term and returned to their homes. Abraham 
would not return until the Avar was over. 

When he at last went back to the town in 
which he had kept the store, he found that every- 
one had heard about his good work in the war. 

104 



WHO BECAME GKEAT 

Abraham had been made a Captain and this was 
one reason why his work was so well known. 

Abraham did not think much about what the 
people said. He was so very busy trying to de- 
cide what he should do to earn a living. The 
man who had owned the country store had failed, 
and Abraham had to find other work. 

Abraham wanted to become a lawyer and a 
kind friend agreed to let him read his law books. 
Abraham was glad to do this. He studied so 
hard that he soon knew as much as many young 
fellows who had gone to school to study law. 

At last Abraham Lincoln was elected a mem- 
ber of The Illinois State Legislature. 

From this time on, he had better chances in 
the world, but he kept on working as hard as 
ever. 

When he left the Legislature he went on with 
the law work in Springfield, Illinois, and after a 
few years he became a member of The House of 
Congress at Washington. 

All of this time Abraham Lincoln had been 

105 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

thinking a great deal about the negro slaves. 
While on his second trip to New Orleans he had 
seen people buying and selling slaves and he 
thought it very unjust and cruel. He made up 
his mind that he would always fight for their 
freedom. 

When he became a member of Congress he did 
all that he could, but at that time he could not do 
much except make speeches about them. 

Finally, Abraham Lincoln was made Presi- 
dent of the United States and he then had a 
chance to do great things for the negro. 

In less than five vears eA^erv slave in the coun- 
try was a free man ! 

And this was because there had once lived the 
poor boy named Abraham Lincoln. 



106 




GEORGE WASHINGTON 



A KICH BOY AND WHAT BECAME OF HIM 

THERE once lived a rich little boy named 
George Washington. He did not live in a 
log cabin. He lived in a big house that was 
very cozy. 

George's mother owned many things that were 
worth a great deal of money. One of these w f as a 
sorrel colt. It was a beantifnl animal, bnt such 
a wild one ! No one eonld ride it. When the colt 
grew up it would have little colts and they, too, 
wonld be worth a great deal. This is one reason 
why it had not been sold. 

Mrs. Washington's son George was a brave 
boy and a good rider, as well. He wanted to 
learn to ride his mother's colt. 

One day George was out in the pasture with 
the boys. "Boys," he said. "If you will help me 
get the bridle on to the colt, I will ride it." 

"Oh George," the boys answered. "You will 

107 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

be hurt. Do not try to ride such a wild animal." 

"Please help me, boys/' replied George. "I am 
not afraid. It is a shame that such a beautiful 
animal cannot be broken." 

The boys helped to put on the bridle and 
George leaped up on to the colt's back. 

Oh! Oh! How the colt jumped! How she 
plunged and reared! The rider held on more 
tightly but it was the end. Down fell colt, rider 
and all. The sudden leap had killed the beauti- 
ful colt that Mrs. Washington liked so well. 

Mrs. Washington knew that George had been 
in the pasture. When he got into the house she 
said, "How are my fine colts this morning, 
George?" 

Then George told what had happened. 
"Mother," he said. "I am very sorry. Your best 
colt is dead and I am to blame for it." 

Mrs. Washington was angry at first, but she 
soon forgot her anger and did not punish George 
at. ail. 

"I am sorry to lose such a fine animal. I wish 

108 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

that it had not been my favorite horse," she said. 
"But I am very glad that you have told me every- 
thing. It pleases me to have a son who is truth- 
ful." 

George was glad to know that his mother was 
pleased with him. He was glad when he found 
that his brother Lawerence was pleased, also. 

George liked his big brother Lawerence very 
much. Lawerence Washington was a soldier 
and could tell good stories about brave men. 
George said that these were the best stories that 
he had ever heard. While his brother talked 
George wished. He had a soldier for a brother 
and a soldier for a grandfather. It is no wonder 
that George wished that he might be a soldier 
too. He thought that brave men were the best 
men in all the world. 

There were years before George would be old 
enough to become a real soldier. So he got his 
friends together and they had a few play battles. 
The cornstalks that they used for guns did not 
shoot very well. It was hard to make a loud 

109 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

noise on the gourds that they used for drums. 
In spite of this, the soldiers fought bravely, and 
many battles were won. 

George was a strong boy. He could throw a 
stone higher than some men. There was a bridge 
made of rocks near his home. This bridge was 
more than a hundred feet high. George threw a 
stone over this high bridge, one day. Then he 
climbed the rocks and Avrote his name up on top. 

George liked to have fun out-of-doors but he 
liked to go to school too. He went to a country 
school where he learned Heading, Writing and 
Arithmetic. George Washington did not have to 
write on a shovel with charcoal. He had pencils 
and a copy-book. George liked to write in this 
book, and he took great care to keep it as neat as 
he could. 

After George had learned Reading, Writing 
and Arithmetic, he learned how to measure land. 
This is called surveying, and in George Wash- 
ington's time a good surveyor could earn as 

110 



WHO BECAME GEEAT 

much, as ten dollars a clay because there were not 
many who could do the work well. 

George liked to survey land, even though there 
were times when he had to go out into the wilder- 
ness. Here his only food was the deer, wild 
turkey, or other animals that he could shoot. At 
night he wrapped himself in a blanket and lay 
down upon the ground to sleep. 

At first George was not used to this because 
he had always slept in a cozy house. But he soon 
got used to the rough life and grew sturdier and 
stronger each day. 

After a few years War broke out, and there 
was great need of brave strong men. Then 
George Washington the play soldier was ready 
to become a real one. He was even made a Cap- 
tain, too. The wish that he had made when a lit- 
tle boy had come true. 

At last a good President of the United States 
was needed, and George Washington was the 
first one chosen. 

As you know, it is no easy thing to go to War. 

Ill 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

Nor is it an easy thing to be a President. It took 
a brave man like George Washington to do the 
work well. 

The people of the United States are glad that 
there was such a good man to be their first Presi- 
dent. 

They are glad that there once lived the rich 
little boy named George Washington. 



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A BEAVE BOY WHO DID NOT WANT TO BE 

A SOLDIER 

THERE was great happiness, one day, in the 
little cabin in Ohio where Mr. Jesse Grant 
lived with his young wife. A baby boy had 
come to live with them, a baby as chubby and 
healthy as you could expect one of his age to be. 
He was good, too, and only cried when he was 
hungry, tired or thirsty. 

Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Grant thought their baby 
a fine little fellow. The good mother fed him 
with great care, and watched over him as only a 
mother knows how to do. The good father went 
about his work more busily than ever because he 
was so glad to think that there was one more in 
the family. 

The child had been in the world but a short 
time when the father and mother began to think 
about giving him a name. Then there w r as trou- 
ble, for the mother wanted one name, and the f a- 

113 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

ther wanted another. The names that the 
mother liked did not suit the father, and the 
names that the .father thought most fitting did 
not please the mother. Things went on in this 
way for some time, and the little child had no 
name at all except just "Baby." 

At last the parents took the little boy to visit 
his two aunts and his grandfather and grand- 
mother, who were surprised to hear that the baby 
had been given no name. 

"Let us each write a name on a slip of paper 
and put the slips into a hat," someone said. 
"The name that is drawn from the hat first, will 
be the child's first one. We can choose his mid- 
dle name in the same way." 

The rest thought this a good plan, and the 
names were quickly written and put into the hat. 
Then the baby's mother drew one of the slips of 
paper from the hat. She opened the paper which 
had been folded, and read aloud the name 
"HIKAM," which was the name the grandfather 
had chosen. The baby's mother drew another 

114 



WHO BECAME GKEAT 

slip from the hat and found that it had the name 
"ULYSSES" written upon it. 

The grandmother was much delighted when 
she heard this, because it was the name that she 
herself had chosen. "That was the name I 
wanted my little grandchild to have," she said. 
"It was the name of the great Greek warrior who 
was brave but also gentle. I do hope that our lit- 
tle Ulysses will be as gentle and as brave as his 
great namesake." 

Hiram Ulysses only went on sleeping when his 
grandmother said this. At that time he thought 
more about sleeping and drinking milk than 
about deeds of bravery. 

But the baby grew and grew. It was not long 
before he showed signs of becoming the brave 
boy his good grandmother had hoped that he 
would be. And for some reason people forgot 
that the first name was HIRAM and called the 
boy ULYSSES, or sometimes 'LYS for short. 

Ulysses' father moved to a little village in 
Ohio, where he made skins into leather and also 

115 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

owned a good deal of land that had to be tilled. 
There were always horses about the place and 
little Ulysses played with them when he was 
scarcely old enough to walk. Sometimes he 
would hang on to their tails or manes. At other 
times he would try to get on to their backs. He 
was so short he had to stand on a box, and even 
then he was not high enough to climb easily. 
You would think that such a little fellow would 
be afraid of the big horses, but Ulysses was not 
at all afraid. 

When Ulysses was six years old his father let 
him ride on the back of one of the horses when- 
ever it was led to the trough to get water. In 
this way Ulysses learned to ride well, and was 
not afraid to ride the biggest horse that his fa- 
ther owned. The horses seemed to feel that a 
brave rider had them in charge. They soon 
learned to love his gentleness and firmness, and 
did not often try to disobey. 

By the time Ulysses was seven years old he 
had learned to harness a horse. He had to stand 

116 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

on a half -bushel measure that had been turned 
upside down, and little Ulysses was only too glad 
that he could make himself taller in this way. 

When Ulysses was eight years old he bought a 
colt of his own, and from that time he was never 
without a horse of some kind. He kept on learn- 
ing so much about horses that his father let him 
do as he pleased with them. Ulysses fed and 
watered his horses each day, and was often al- 
lowed to buy or sell one if he wished to do so. 

When Ulysses was eleven years of age he had 
driven about most of the country as far as forty 
miles away, and a little later he had driven as 
far as seventy miles. 

This does not seem to be a very brave act to 
the boys who live in Ohio, today. The state is 
now built up well, and there are many good 
roads. But when Ulysses Grant lived in Ohio, 
the country was wild, and the roads were as dark 
as pitch, by night. Most of them were rough, and 
ran through dense forests that were very lonely. 
And one could never be sure there was not an In 

117 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

dian standing behind a tree, getting ready to 
shoot with his how and arrow. It took a brave 
hoj to ride alone any great distance in such a 
country. 

Ulysses was not afraid to risk his life on these 
journeys. Sometimes he carried leather to a dis- 
tant city for his father. At other times he car- 
ried passengers from one place to another. 
There were mishaps at times, but Ulysses Avas 
never afraid to try the journey again. 

One time Ulysses and a neighbor visited a 
place called Flat Rock where they met a man 
wiio owned a beautiful horse. Ulysses liked the 
horse so much he asked the man if he would 
trade it for the one that Ulysses had, if the man 
w r ere paid a little extra money. The man needed 
the money and the bargain was made. 

The horse had never pulled a wagon, but he 
seemed to be a gentle animal. Ulysses wanted 
to take the horse home at once, so decided to 
hitch him to the wagon which the old horse had 
drawn. 

118 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

Ulysses and the neighbor who had made the 
journey with him, got into the wagon. All went 
well until they were about half-way home. Then 
all of a sudden a fierce dog came running out of 
one of the farm-yards, and snapped at the new 
horse's heels. In an instant the animal was 
kicking, and running as fast as he could. 
Ulysses cried, "Whoa ! Whoa !" and held on to 
the reins tightly, but the horse would not stop. 
On he ran, straight toward a cross-road that had 
a twenty-foot ditch on the farther side. Ulysses' 
neighbor screamed and screamed, but Ulysses 
did not lose his nerve at all. He only pulled on 
the reins with all his strength and at last 
stopped the unruly horse at the very edge of the 
deep deep ditch. 

The ride had been a little too swift to suit the 
neighbor of Ulysses. As soon as the horse had 
stopped the neighbor climbed out of the wagon, 
saying that he would try to get a ride on a wagon 
that went more slowly. 

Ulysses said, "Very well. I will go on alone." 

119 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

Then he tied his big handkerchief over the 
horse's eyes to keep him from seeing things that 
might frighten him. When he had done this, 
Ulysses drove on again. By this time the unruly 
horse must have learned that he had a firm 
driver for he did not run away again. When the 
neighbor reached home he was surprised to hear 
that Ulysses was safe in his own home and tha*t 
he had not received so much as a scratch. 

Ulysses often surprised his friends with the 
many daring things that he could do with horses. 
When he was twelve years old he could ride a 
horse at full speed, standing upon its back and 
holding on to the bridle. Sometimes he stood on 
but one foot, and this was even more daring. 

Some children will think that the father of 
Ulysses w^as very good to let his son do as he 
wished with the horses. Mr. Grant was a good 
father, but Ulysses was also a good son. He did 
all the outside work that had to be done for his 
father's tannery business. Ulysses did not like 
to work inside the tannery but he was willing to 

120 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

haul leather to market, take care of the horses 
and cows, plough the land so that corn and po- 
tatoes could be planted, bring in the crops when 
harvested, and haul all the wood that was used 
about the house and tannery. All of this Ulysses 
did for his father, besides attending school, 
where he never missed a quarter. 

The father of Ulysses was a well-to-do man for 
that day, but it was hard for him to get good 
hired men because there were so few people liv- 
ing in that part of the country. Mr. Grant was 
glad that he had a son who was willing to help so 
much. The father was also glad when he saw his 
son having good times, because he knew that they 
had been earned. 

In summer Ulysses liked to go swimming and 
diving. In winter he skated and coasted with 
the other boys. There were a few good hills near 
the Grants' home, and Ulysses was always a dar- 
ing coaster. 

Some boys are brave, but they are also quar- 
relsome, and like to fight because they think that 

121 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

they can win. Ulysses was not this way. He 
tried to get out of a fight whenever he could. It 
is said that as a boy he entered into but one fight. 
This was when his cousin John made an unkind 
remark about George Washington whom Ulysses 
Grant had always loved an honored. 

The cousin lived in Canada and liked the 
Kings of England just as boys who live in the 
United States like their Presidents. This would 
have been very well had not the cousin John said 
to Ulysses, "Your George Washington was a 
traitor when he fought the good King George." 

Ulysses could not bear to have his hero called 
a traitor. "Say that again and I'll thrash you," 
he cried. 

"1 1)0 say it again," the cousin answered. 

"Then I DO THRASH YOU," replied Ulysses. 

What followed, you can well imagine. But 
after the fight was over the cousin never tried to 
say unkind things about George Washington or 
about any other hero that Ulysses loved, This 

122 



WHO BECAME GKEAT 

was the last time that Ulysses ever fought with 
any other boy, also. 

Most brave boys like to play soldier and try to 
beat the enemy. This was what George Wash- 
ington always liked to do. You remember how 
he would gather his friends together and fight 
make-believe battles with some of them, using 
cornstalks for guns, and gourds for drums. 

Ulysses Grant did not play soldier and he did 
not care to be one when he grew up. He did not 
even care to hear stories about the brave deeds 
that soldiers had done. Many of his father's and 
also his mother's people had been soldiers, and 
the father and mother could have told many 
stories about them. 

When Ulysses was seventeen years old his fa- 
ther told him that he had been chosen to go to 
West Point where boys were trained to become 
soldiers. This was a great surprise to Ulysses 
and he did not like it at all. He wanted to get a 
good education and then take up farming for his 

123 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

work as a man. He did not wish to learn to be a 
soldier. 

Mr. Grant would not take "No" for an answer. 
"My son/' he said, "West Point is a good school 
and you can study there, even though you may 
not become a soldier later. Do this to please me, 
will you not, my boy?" 

Ulysses loved his father and had always done 
what he could to please him. Besides this, 
Ulysses knew that he could visit several new 
cities on his way to West Point, and he had al- 
ways enjoyed travelling about from place to 
place. With these things in mind, Ulysses said 
that he would study at West Point. "I will 
study there for awhile," he thought. "Then I 
will come home again and take up farming or 
some other work." 

Ulysses had never been a bright boy although 
he had been a brave one. Some people were sur- 
prised when they heard that he had been ad- 
mitted to the military school at West Point. 
Ulysses himself was surprised at this, but he en- 

124 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

tered the school with his mind set upon becoming 
a credit to his town and to his family. 

At West Point Ulysses studied hard subjects 
like History, French, and Math-e-mat-ics. He 
also learned how to march, to drill, and to do 
other things that all good soldiers must know. 
Ulysses did not like any of the studies except 
Math-e-mat-ics. This study he liked very well. 
As time went on he changed his mind about 
wanting to become a farmer. He thought that it 
would be much better to become a teacher of 
mathematics. 

In marching and drilling Ulysses was a good 
pupil, but when it came to working with horses 
Ulysses was the best pupil in the whole school. 
Ulysses always chose the wildest horse and took 
great pleasure in taming it. One of these was a 
horse named "Old York" which most of the boys 
were afraid to ride. Ulysses learned to ride the 
horse, and taught it to jump five and a half feet. 

Ulysses learned to like West Point better than 
he thought that he would like it, but he was glad 

125 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

when lie was at last through and could go back 
to his father's home. Ulysses planned to stay 
here until he could begin his work of teaching 
mathematics, but things did not turn out as he 
had planned. 

Ulysses had been home but a short time when 
war broke out in Mexico, and the United States 
needed brave men to help win a victory. Ulysses 
did not like a soldier's life even after studying to 
be one. But when he found that his country 
really needed him, Ulysses made up his mind to 
join the army that was going to Mexico. 

And then do you know what happened? I will 
tell you. Ulysses Grant went to war to fight for 
his country. He fought so bravely that he was 
made a lieutenant. 

After awhile the Mexican War was over, and 
in a few more years the Civil War broke out. 
Again Ulysses Grant joined the army, and 
fought so well that he was made a Colonel. And 
before the Civil War had gone on for a very long 
time, Ulysses Grant was made the General of 

126 



WHO BECAME GEEAT 

the whole Northern army, with more than 70,000 
men under him ! 

If you were to have watched Ulysses Grant in 
some of the battles that he fought you would 
never have thought that he had not always 
wanted to be a soldier. You would only have 
thought, "How brave he is!" And you would 
have been right, for Ulysses Grant was one of 
the best soldiers that the United States ever had. 
He led his men into many battles, and helped to 
win a great victory. 

When bullets were flying about him thick and 
fast, Ulysses Grant was just as calm as he had 
been when he was a boy riding along lonely roads 
at night, or mounted on a wild horse that no 
other boy would ride. 

A few years after the Civil War was over, the 
people of the United States needed a new presi- 
dent. Then they chose Ulysses Grant, who be- 
came as good a president as he had been a gen- 
eral. 

I wonder what the grandmother would have 

127 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

thought if she had been living at that time? Do 
vou think she would have been sorrv that she had 
named the baby boy ULYSSES? 



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A FIGHTING BOY 

TO begin with, Theodore Boosevelt was not 
strong but he made up his mind that he 
would do what he could to make himself as 
healthy as other boys. This was his first fight. 
His father gave him the use of the wide back 
porch of his New York home and Theodore 
started in to learn to climb a pole for exercise. 
Try this sometime. You will see that it is not 
easily done at first. Theodore had to try it many 
times before he could climb without slipping. In 
this out-of-door gymnasium we can imagine a 
punching bag too. Theodore must have felt as if 
he had been running a mile a minute when he 
first tried to punch the bag. 

Theodore Boosevelt's father was a well-to-do 
man. Besides his home in the city he owned a 
summer home three miles from the town of 
Oyster Bay where he and his family spent their 

129 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

vacation months. Here Theodore learned to 
swim, ride and row. Here he first learned to 
love the wild flowers and birds and to be eager to 
know their secrets. If a pair of robins built 
their disorderly mud-lined nest near the house, 
Theodore was not content with merely looking at 
the nest. He would watch the father and mother 
birds feeding the babies many many times each 
day and then he would find a book that told all 
about the robins. This he would read with great 
interest. Perhaps you have heard how a father 
robin carries fourteen feet of worms to his babies 
each day. After reading things like this, Theo- 
dore would watch the robins with greater inter- 
est than before. No doubt he admired the robin 
parents for their kindness. Perhaps he decided 
that he would be that kind of a father some day. 
At any rate, that is the kind he turned out to be. 
When he grew up he had five children of his own 
just like some of the father robins, and there 
were many people who admired him for the good 
care he gave his children. 

130 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

Strange to say, not only living things inter- 
ested Theodore Roosevelt. He learned about 
even the stones and rocks which he found in the 
places he visited. One time his parents took him 
to Europe. When they were getting ready to re- 
turn home they found that Theodore had so many 
stones in his trunk there was hardly any room 
for his clothes at all. His mother decided that 
after all Theodore would be better off with a 
trunk full of warm underwear, clean stockings 
and other necessary articles of clothing. She 
threw the stones out of the trunk, whereupon 
Theodore filled his pockets. With his bulging 
pockets he looked for all the world like a boy just 
coming from an apple orchard. 

When Theodore had grown to be a tall boy his 
father sent him to a wild place in Maine called 
Island Falls. At this place there lived a born 
woodsman named Bill Sewall who knew the wil- 
derness and promised to take good care of Theo- 
dore. The old guide must have done this work 
well for Theodore never forgot the good times he 

131 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

had tramping and camping with the old woods- 
man. When Theodore grew to be a little older, 
he too, moved to a wild country. This country 
was in the far West and it was here that Theo- 
dore Koosevelt became a ranchman and hunter. 

By this time Theodore Roosevelt had won his 
fight for good health. His face was tanned with 
the sun and wind and his muscles were strong 
and firm. Theodore had become a cowboy and 
he looked a great deal like the cowboys whose 
pictures you have seen. He wore leathern over- 
alls and had a revolver fastened to his belt. 
Around his neck was a brightly colored handker- 
chief and on his head he wore a broad-brimmed 
hat which was of much use when he rode over the 
sunny plains. 

Out in the wilderness Theodore Roosevelt 
built a log house in which he spent the night but 
he did not use this much in the daytime. From 
early morning until night he was busy out-of- 
doors raising vegetables, shooting game or ani- 
mals for meat, cutting firewood, and even dig- 

132 



WHO BECAME GREAT 

ging coal from his ranch to burn in the winter. 
Besides all this, he kept hundreds of cows which 
he had marked with a maltese cross. Like other 
ranchmen, Theodore Roosevelt had no fences for 
his cows. The cattle roamed around wherever 
they pleased, eating grass. Sometimes they 
wandered for hundreds of miles and would not 
be captured for months. You can plainly see 
why each one would have to be marked in some 
way. Twice a year Theodore Roosevelt would 
round up all the maltese cross herds. Then he 
would mark all the new calves and would send 
some of the fattest calves to market. The 
wagons which carried food would move to a new 
part of the country each day. Theodore Roose- 
velt and the other coAvboys who helped him would 
drive in all the cattle they could find. This often 
meant a ride of over fifty miles in the morning. 
In the round-up Theodore Roosevelt would often 
have to sleep out in the snow, wrapped in 
blankets and tarpaulins, but with no tent to 
shield him from the freezing cold. This shows 

133 



LITTLE PEOPLE 

how well Theodore Roosevelt had won his fight 
to become strong and healthy. 

Perhaps it was because he had won this fight 
so well that Theodore Roosevelt was encouraged 
to fight for other things. The people of New 
York elected him Police Commissioner which 
meant Head Policeman. Theodore Roosevelt 
had a chance to fight for millions of people then. 
He wanted the city of New York to become a 
safer and better place, and he put up a good fight 
to bring this about. 

People heard about the good work he had done 
in New York, and they made him the President 
of the United States. Then once more, Theodore 
Roosevelt had many people to work for, and bat- 
tles to fight. 

To be sure, Theodore Roosevelt was no longer 
a boy, as far as age goes. He had become a man. 
But folks who knew him best said that he always 
remained a boy at heart. Perhaps this was be- 
cause he played with his own boys so much and 
was so full of fun. Theodore Roosevelt taught 

134 



WHO BECAME GKEAT 

them to box, swim, row and ride. He gave them 
animals and pets of many kinds. Before the 
boys grew up they had had a live bear, a lion, a 
hyena, a wild cat, a coyote, two parrots, an eagle, 
a barn owl, several snakes, a lizard, a zebra, a 
kangaroo, flying squirrels, rabbits, guinea pigs, 
as well as dogs of many kinds. 

With four lively boys and so many interesting 
pets it was no wonder that Theodore Roosevelt 
could not feel "grown up." He was still a boy — ■ 
a fighting boy, as he had always been. 



135 



BOOKS BY 



Walter P. Eaton 



The Boy Scouts of Berkshire 

A story of how the Chipmunk Patrol was started, what they did 
and how they did it. 313 pages 

The Boy Scouts of the Dismal Swamp 

This story is a continuation of THE BOY SCOUTS OF BERKSHIRE 
and is an unusually interesting book on Boy Scouting. 310 pages 

Boy Scouts in the White Mountains 

Intimate knowledge of the country as well as of the basic princi- 
ples of Boy Scouting characterizes this new volume by Mr, Eaton. 

320 pages 

Boy Scouts of the Wildcat Patrol 

A Story of Boy Scouting 

This story is a continuation of the history of Peanut and the other 
characters which appeared in previous volumes by this author. 

315 pages 

Peanut — Cub Reporter 

A Boy Scout's life and adventures on a newspaper 

A rattling newspaper story with Peanut as the central character 
— he who has figured so prominently in the author's four Boy Scout 
books. 320 pages 

Boy Scouts in Glacier Park 

The adventures of two young Easterners in the heart of the high 
Rockies. The volume gives an accurate and descriptive picture of 
this Park, and might well be used as a guide book. This book is 
illustrated by wonderful photographs. 386 pages 

On the Edge of the Wilderness 

Tales of Our Wild Animal Neighbors 

Interesting and intimate stories of neighborly wild animals who 
through stress or mistake have wandered close to civilization, and 
of whom glimpses have been obtained. Beautifully illustrated by 
Bull, the great animal illustrator. 336 pages 

"EVery story written by Walter P. Eaton runs true in its de- 
scription of nature. He is a loVer of the out-of-doors, a 
"keen observer of animals and a remarkable leader of boys. 
His pictures are real and the spirit behind them beto%ens 
the loVer of Nature that he is, and best of all, you can de- 
pend upon the truth of what he Writes." — Uhe Herald 

$1.75 each 
All prices are NET 



BOOKS BY 

Com. Thos. D. Parker, U. S. N. 

Young Heroes of the American Navy 

Being stories and adventures of the most noted young heroes 
of our Navy 

The naval history of our country has developed many young men 
who through patriotism have performed many acts of daring hero- 
ism and whose names are in the hall of naval fame. The book is 
fully illustrated with reproductions of the events which the various 
characters made memorable. 

320 pages 

The Cruise of the Deep Sea Scouts 

Or, Boy Scouts Afloat. Illustrated with colored frontispiece 

The activities of the Boy Scouts Afloat are today move interesting 
than ever before. Deep sea scouting is one of the most important 
activities of the Boy Scout Organization and the call of the sea is 
as strong as the cali of the woods or the mountains, while the life 
of the sailor promotes the same discipline and training as does the 
life of the soldier. 

320 pages 

The Spy on the Submarine 

A thrilling story of adventure on board a submarine destroyer 
and upon a submarine itself. This is an up-tc date story, full of 
the experiences which are daily happening and serving to make a 
large part of the history of this great war. 

320 pages 

The Air Raider 

Winning the Gold and Silver Chevron 

Our navy and shipbuilding yards were exposed to many dangers 
from enemies both within and without during the war. Few real- 
ized it, but Commander Parker did. THE AIR RAIDER gives a 
thrilling picture of what might have occurred in one yard, if cer- 
tain loyal young men had not kept an ever watchful eye open for 
every emergency. 



Mr. Parker's stories are based on his intimate knowledge of 
naval affairs. The experiences which his characters go 
through Will show to eVery reader of his books just what is 
happening or mat; happen Within the gates of any of our 
NaVy Yards, or on the high seas on board one of our great 
battleships. They are true pictures of naVal life afloat and 
ashore. 



Price, Cloth, $1.75 each 
All Prices NET 



BOOKS BY 

Lewis E. Theiss 



In Camp at Fort Brady — A Camping 



Story 



Colored Illustrations 



This story will be found helpful to all boys, especially those be- 
longing to the Boy Scouts movement. 

320 pages 

Lumberjack Bob 

A tale of the Alleghanies, with colored frontispiece 

318 pages 

His Big Brother 

A story of the struggles and triumphs of a little Son of Liberty 
Illustrated. 320 pages 

The Wireless Patrol at Camp Brady 

A story of how the boy campers, through their knowledge of 
wireless, '"did their bit." Illustrated with colored frontispiece 

320 pages 

The Secret Wireless 

A story of the Camp Brady Patrol. Colored Illustration 

320 pages 

The Hidden Aerial 

The Spy Line on the Mountain. Colored Illustration 

320 pages 

The Young Wireless Operator— Afloat 

Or, How Roy Mercer Won His Spurs in the Merchant Marine 

Storms, fog and accidents at sea all lose much of their dangers 
when aboard each vessel is an up-to-date wireless outfit and a 
staunch, reliable boy like Roy Mercer to operate it. 

Price, Cloth, $1.75 each 

AH Prices are NET 



Bp Captain Edw. L. Beach, U.S.N, 

Ralph Osborn — Midshipman at An* 
napolis 

A STORY OF ANNAPOLIS LIFE. 336 pages 

Midshipman Ralph Osborn at Sea 

A STORY OF MIDSHIPMAN LIPE AT SEA, AND 
CONTINUING " RALPH OSBORN — MIDSHIPMAN 
AT ANNAPOLIS." 360 pages 

Ensign Ralph Osborn 

THE STORY OF HIS TRIALS AND TRIUMPHS 
IN A BATTLESHIP'S ENGINE ROOM. 338 pages 

Lieutenant Ralph Osborn Aboard a 
Torpedo Boat Destroyer 

BEING THE STORY OF HOW RALPH OSBORN 
BECAME A LIEUTENANT AND OF HIS CRUISE 
IN AN AMERICAN TORPEDO BOAT DESTROYER 
IN WEST INDIAN WATERS. 342 pages 

The "OSBORN" books show the steps of advancement in the 
American Navy, from Cadet to Lieutenant, with a true picture of naval 
life as it is. The information given is authentic-, and many of the 
related incidents were actual occurrences. They are books of infor- 
mation and adventure combined. 

Such stories as these are not only interesting to the young people but 
carry with them an insight into naval life which will make the reader 
have more respect and appreciation of the work of Uncle Sam's navy. 
They are first-class stories for boys — clean, good, and worthy of a 
place in the home, private or school library. 

" These are the best stories on the United States Navy which have 
ever been written. They give a clear insight into the workings of this 
important branch of American government and the characters are true 
to life as befits a book written by such a man as Commander Beach, 
who has enjoyed an enviable career ever since he entered the Uni+ed 
States Navy." — New York Times. 

These Volumes are alt fully illustrated 
Price, Cloth, $1.75 net each 



W. A. WILDE CO. 



Boston and Chicago 



BOOKS BY 

Amy E. Blanchard 

Camp Fire and Girl Scout Stories 



The Camp Fire Girls of Brightwood 

A Story of how They Kindled Their Fire and Kept It Burning 

What the Boy Scout Organization means to the boys. Camp Fire 
Girls means to their sisters. This story shows the development in 
the character of those who made up the organization in the little 
town of Brightwood, their difficulties and triumphs in forming their 
organization, and the experiences and pleasures enjoyed by them 
are woven into an intensely interesting story by an author who is 
devoted to the work. 309 pages 



Fagots and Flames 



A Story of Winter Camp Fires; with colored frontispiece by 
Frank T. Merrill 

This is a companion volume to *' The Camp Fire Girls of Bright- 
wood," but absolutely independent of it, The author has carried 
along the characters in the former story, bringing into prominence 
the true-hearted country girl, Kathleen Gilman. It is brightened 
with girlish fun and by the ceremonials of the Camp Fire Girls. 

306 pages 

In Camp with the Muskoday Camp 
Fire Girls 

A Story of the Camp Fire by the Lake. Colored Frontispiece 

Readers of this volume will recognize many of the old characters^ 
of whom they have read in " The Camp Fire Girls of Brightwood " 
and " Fagots and Flames." The story relates the experiences that 
attended their life in the open. 318 pages 

A Girl Scout of Red Rose Troop 

A Story for Qirl Scouts 

Every girl who is now a scout, every girl who would like to be a 
scout and is not — will want to read this story by an author who 
herself knows all about scouting 320 pages 

Lucky Penny of Thistle Troop 

A Qirl Scout Story 

Penny Atwood, the girl scout heroine of Thistle Troop, is well 
named Lucky Penny, for fortune seems always to smile upon her. 
The story tells of the activities of the girls — glimpses of school life 
and its friendships, of a bazaar, a Valentine party, a skating carni- 
val, and of a little Belgian refugee who won their hearts and made 
a place for herself in their Troop. 

Price, $1.75 each 

All Prices are NET 



BOOKS BY 

Amy E. Blanchard 



Elizabeth, Betsy and Bess 

If there is one thing that Miss Amy E. Blanchard knows well it is 
the child's heart, and this knowledge stands her in good stead in 
her recent book. The story runs into just such conversation and 
escapades as three young girls are liable to indulge in. Illustrated. 

284 pages 

Elizabeth, Betsy and Bess — School* 
mates 

This is the story of the school days of the three girl chums and 
shows the individual development of each one. Every chapter 
is full of the interesting experiences dear to the hearts of girls of 
this age. Illustrated. 320 pages 



A Girl of '76 

About Colonial Boston. Cloth. «. 

A story of the earlier period of the Revolutionary War written 
primarily for girls, and the homes and heroines depicted are drawn 
so as to give peculiar interest to its readers. 

331 pages 

A Little Maid of Picardy 

A story full of adventures in the life of a refugee maid of Picardy. 
An American girl with the love of France in her heart tells this 
wonderful story of hardships, yes, and pleasures as well, of the 
heroic refugee. Illustrated with colored frontispiece and cover. 

320 pages 



These books are full of interest to young people: they also 
recommend themselves to all Who like to see booics that 
build character in the hands of our young readers. 



Price, $1.75 each 
All Prices are NET 



